Glass Hearts
by Skyecelade99
Summary: Jace and Clary are best friends and are going out together. However, Aline takes an interest in Jace and will do whatever it takes to have him, even if she has to kill or hurt someone to have him. *Second Place for All Human in the MI Awards*
1. Confessions

A/N: For those who have read Paper Hearts, this is the full story behind that excerpt. Dedicated to jacenclaryforever (Judith) who has been bugging me to continue Paper Hearts.

A million thanks to iBubble, lolo14998 and loving ya. Thanks for being the first 3 to review Paper Hearts.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Instruments**

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"Hey, what are you looking at?" a warm, musical voice filled the silence she had built around her. At once, Clary spun on her heels, shocked that she was caught off guard. Her hand went to her heart, trying to calm it. She started to look around, wondering who had disturbed her. Then, she heard footsteps and turned slowly toward the direction of the golden lion water fountain. The first thing she saw was a pair of black shoes and as her eyes travelled upwards, she found herself gasping for breath. Right in front of her stood Jace Wayland, her best friend. However, for the past few weeks, the atmosphere they had whenever they were together was different. It was more than friends.

She did not know what happened. She felt different around him ever since he had saved her from falling off a cliff. At that time, when he wrapped her in his arms, it felt as if she was in heaven, where no one could touch her. It was as if he was a safe haven, as if he could make all her fears go away in a blink of an eye. After that day, she could not stand being in the same room as him, especially in her dormitory room. She blushed more around him, she became clumsy and she became forgetful. He had laughed at her then, teased her about it, but did he not know he was the one who made her that way.

Right now, she felt as if words were stuck in her throat as she stared at the person in front of her. He was leaning against the low wall of the fountain, looking more like a Greek god that anyone had the right to, wearing a black tuxedo and trademark smirk. However, that smirk made her feel warm and fuzzy all over. He pushed himself off the wall and approached her. Clary tried to run away, or appear normal the least, but somehow, she could not make her heart to beat normally. They had been best friends for 3 years now, so why must one incident change everything?

"Nothing much, just the stars and the night sky. Good thing it's full moon too," Clary mumbled, looking away from him, trying to avoid looking into his eyes.

"Really? I never notice those. I thought you were just waiting for the fireworks," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. She could feel the tiny bit of his skin from his elbow as he stood close to her, folding his arms across his chest. Did he really not know what he was making her feel?

"Yeah, Simon told me about it. Seemed that's what everyone is looking forward to," she said, grinning, glad that her emotions are quite under controlled. However, his reaction was something she had not expected. He closed his eyes, as if in pain, and pinched the bridge of his nose, deep in thought. Clary was about to ask him what's wrong when he took out his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. She looked up at him questioningly.

"That dress isn't that warm. C'mon, let's take a walk along the beach," he told her, offering her his arm. She hesitated for a second before taking it.

It was as if nothing was wrong. He made her feel at ease as they talked about the humorous things their classmates did for the past two semesters. Like how Aaron pulled his twin's pants down, how Danielle managed to sneak past the second corridor of the block to meet her new boyfriend only to be caught by Ms Ingrid, who was also sneaking around with her boyfriend. However, whenever she started talking about Simon, Jace clamped shut, as if he did not want to participate in that conversation. Finally, they sat on the hard boulder in the middle of the beach, looking up into the night sky. Right behind them was Hayes Academy, their school, and celebrating the upcoming New Year.

Clary looked down at her emerald green sleeveless dress, which barely covered her knees. She did not really want to wear this but Isabelle, her roommate, had persuaded her into it. It was a good thing she was in Jace's jacket, which was keeping her warm from the cool sea breeze. She kicked off the 3inch heels and brought her legs close to her chest. Jace was sitting comfortably next to her, leaning back as he closed his eyes and took in whatever he was feeling.

"You know, Simon told me about how it's a good thing to wear red on the first day of the New Year. Though how he came up with that theory... no one knows," Clary told him, smiling at the memory of her hilarious friend. She turned to look at Jace but he was looking down, his expression hidden from her. She wondered why he was like this today. It was not the first time he heard about Simon and his antics. Somehow, he was worrying her.

"Jace, are you ok?" she asked gently, placing her hand on his arm.

"Clary, what is Simon to you?" he finally asked, his voice sounding strained.

Clary was caught off guard with that question. What was Simon to her?

"I don't know. He's just somebody fun to hang out with, that's all," she answered carefully, hoping her words did not do any more damage.

"But, have you thought of him as somebody more than a... friend?"

Clary bit her lip as she felt her cheeks burning from that question. There was only one who she would think of being more than friends, but now was not the right time.

"I don't. I just find him so cute and interesting, nothing more," she answered, choosing her words with care.

At once, Jace looked up, his expression a cross between mild rage and disbelief. Then, as if it never happened, he had his poker face on. He took a brown fallen leaf in his hand and started tearing it into shreds.

"Of course everyone find Simon interesting. Who wouldn't? Plus, he's a nice guy," he mumbled to himself, shredding the leaf into tinier pieces.

"What's your problem, Jace? It's not as if his advancing me or anything. We're just friends. You really shouldn't protect me that much. I'm not your sister," Clary huffed. Jace mood swing was annoying at times. Sighing, she stood up, her slippers in her right hand and was about to walk off when she heard him calling her name.

She stopped and was about to turn when Jace took her hand and pulled her towards him, wrapping her in his arms. She tensed up at first, but after a while, relaxed against him. Soon enough, he pulled away, gently. He cupped her chin, staring deep into her eyes.

"That's why. I've never think of you as my sister and the thoughts I'm thinking about you are hardly brotherly," he murmured, sending warm and fuzzy feelings that made her toes curled. His face inched closer; his hot breath was felt against her cheeks. He tilted his head, his eyes still fixed on hers. Finally, he closed them and his lips met hers.

His lips were warm, soft and had the lingering taste of mints. She did not know how to react. It made her feel awkward... and scared. Scared that she was not doing it right, scared that she could not be compared with the other girls he had kissed. She stood frozen. Too soon, he pulled away, but not too far away. She could feel her cheeks flushing and her heart hammering in her chest. His forehead touched hers, his breath feeling warm in her face. Then, she kissed him. She pressed her lips to his, shock at first, but soon softened under her touch. It was as if the world exploded under his touch as long suppressed desire was released from her. She wrapped her hands behind his neck, wanting the feeling more as she let her instincts guide her. He tilted his head for a better angle, his hand pressing against the small part of her back, not letting her break away. This time, it was different. There was a sense of urgency in it as both pushed for more. There was more passion in it, as if he too had suppressed himself. His hand moved lower, from her shoulder to her waist and stopped right there. He held the back of her hear with his left hand as he tilted his head, angling it better as their kissing deepened. When they finally came up for air, his face was flushed, his eyes bright. He held her cheek in his hand, caressing it gently.

"You do not know how long I've been waiting for that," he whispered. He pulled her towards him and kissed her softly, gently, before pulling away. He took her hand in his, their fingers lacing with each other.

"I love you Clary. I've loved you ever since we first met. It pained me to see you with Simon," he confessed, blushing slightly.

"My heart has been yours since you saved me at the cliff. That's why it pained me when you hang out with those flirty girls. I thought... thought you don't like me as I'm so...normal," she whispered softly. Jace released her hand and cupped her chin again, staring seriously in her eyes.

"Clary, you do not know how long I've been wanting you." With that, he pressed his lips against hers, as if making his point, before pulling away.

"Would you be mine, Clarissa?"

"I'm already yours."

Right above them, the shower of fireworks just started, lighting up the sky and marking the day they admitted their love for each other, something they had kept hidden from each other. As Jace held Clary's hand while they walked back to Hayes Academy, they felt contentment for the first time.

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Thanks for reading! Review please! XD


	2. Best girlfriend?

Hey! Here is chapter 2.

Want to say thanks to those who had dropped by: jacenclaryforever, loving ya, Jace's lover, gpeach6, mick and slaygal05. Thanks for reviewing and making Glass Hearts your favourite story/ story alert!

Also to neverknewthetruth, 14iImortalInstruments, bookluvr-4ev, Straightupsideways, Felicia adores Jace Lightwood. Thanks for making Glass Hearts your favourite story/ story alert!

This chapter is dedicated to all of you! Enjoy! Do review at the end!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Instruments**

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"How to be the best girlfriend your boyfriend ever had." That was the title of the section she was reading. Clary sighed and ran her fingers through her hair in distress. This was her first time reading such magazine but she was already feeling stupid for even holding on to the magazine. She had contemplated more than once of chucking the magazine aside with ferocity but it did not belong to her. It belonged to Isabelle, who had lent her the magazine when she was searching for the answer to a very 'personal' question. Of course Isabelle had told her that the best way was to be herself but Clary was still unsure. Thus, the magazine. However, even after reading the 20th tip, the magazine still had not even given her any answers. Instead, Clary was on the verge of puking from reading all the romance stuff.

True, she was not like any other girl. Clary did not like flirting or flaunting around. She hated showing herself. Therefore, she found the tips in there a bit overrated. Sighing again, Clary closed the magazine and put it under her desk. It had been two days since Jace confessed to her. True, it was as if a dream had come true but sometimes, she wondered why Jace loved her. What was it about her that made him fell for her? She was different, plain and boring; the total opposite of the other girls but he had chosen her over them. Why?

However, she did not have the time to ponder over the question for Ms. Hazel, her Biology teacher, had entered the class, commencing the start of her class.

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Unknown to Clary, Jace was staring at her the whole time before class. He was worried when he saw her expression but when he saw she was reading, he smirked to himself and relaxed. It was time he told her the truth. However, even when he knew what was bothering her, he still keep an eye out for her throughout the whole day; always looking out for her even when she did not know about it.

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Tip 25: Show him you love him more than he loves you.

Clary rolled her eyes at the latest tip. Sometimes, she wondered why she even bothered to read the whole of it. She closed the magazine and leaned against the tree trunk while she stretched out her legs. It was lunch now and here she was on her own, away from society. Only those close to her knew of her private place and they were Simon, Jace and Isabelle. This place was special to her because it was the closest thing to what she had at her own home. It was facing the school garden and the golden lion fountain which had been built when before Hayes Academy was built. The Academy was already 50 years old that she wondered how long that fountain had been there.

Lost in her own thoughts, she did not hear Simon approaching her until he was five steps away from her.

"Clary," he said in greeting, grinning down on her. Clary grinned back at him and made space for him to sit.

"I didn't get to say anything just now during Geography. So, how's your New Year?" Simon asked as he settled down next to her.

"Alright I guess. The fireworks were nice though," Clary replied, grinning to herself as she remembered watching the fireworks while holding to Jace's warm hand.

"Yeah. Heard you and Jace are together," he said, grinning at her. Clary could feel the heat rising up to her cheeks and looked down purposely so that Simon could not see her face.

"Clary, do you really love him?" he asked all of a sudden. Clary looked up in shock and stared at her friend, her mouth hung open as she tried to get the words out of her mouth. In the end, all she could get out was a weak "Yeah" before she turned bright red again.

"I don't know if I should tell you this but do be careful around him. It's not that I don't like him or whatever but I just don't want to see you cry _if_ he left you for another girl. I'm sorry if you're hurt but I just want to get this out. Furthermore, I don't want to let this get in between or friendship," Simon said.

Clary did not look up until she felt him stood up and walked off. Sighing to herself, she placed a hand over her eyes as she tried to control her conflicting emotions in her. Whatever Simon had said was true. She had to be careful around him. Jace had not told her the reason why he loved her. What if he was playing with her all along? What if dating her was a joke to him?

Clary tried to push away all the unwanted thoughts. Standing up from her lunch spot, Clary dragged her feet as she headed to the Chemistry lab which was in the West wing of the Academy. However, on her way there, someone slipped a note in her hand. Clary stopped walking and looked around, wondering who it was. When she unfolded the note, she knew at once who had given her the note. As she stared at the cursive handwriting in it, she felt her heart quickened.

_Meet me later at the gazebo in the garden at nine before lights out_

_~J_

She kept the note carefully in her pocket, a smile etched on her lips. Somehow, she could not wait for the day to end and the night to come.

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Clary fidgeted nervously in the blue sweater she had hurriedly thrown on. As she waited for Jace in the gazebo, she realised then that the sweater was something that was not impressive. She sighed inwardly. Here was a chance to impress Jace and she had blown it by wearing something... plain.

"Why am I such an idiot in this," Clary muttered to herself, crossed.

"Who told you you're an idiot?" an amused voice shattered the silence. Jace emerged from one of the pillars and started walking towards her. Clary, unsure of what she had to do, stood awkwardly at one side, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Jace, what's wrong? I mean, you asked me to be here so that means that something's wrong, right? Are you ok or is-" Clary trailed off but stopped all of a sudden when Jace pressed a finger on her lips, silencing her.

"There's nothing wrong with me, Clary. What I want to know is if someone or something is bothering you?" he muttered, his eyes staring deep into hers. He pulled back his finger and held her hand, giving comfort in silence. Clary bit her lip nervously; unsure as to how she was supposed to start _that_ conversation.

"I saw you earlier on, reading that magazine of yours. So, of course I know something is not right," he told her, smiling. However, Clary kept silent.

"I'm sorry. I guessed I teased you a little too hard," Jace sighed and released her hand as he walked away. However, he stopped when he realised that Clary was holding on to it.

"It's just that, what is it about me that interest you the most? I mean I'm plain and boring, the direct opposites of those girls that normally confessed to you. For all I know, nothing about me is interesting. So why did you want me? Why me when there are other girls out there who are more suitable to be... yours?" Clary blurted out in a rush, stumbling over her words. Jace just stared at her, stunned by her sudden outburst. That was when he realised what really was bothering her.

He caressed her cheek, smiling gently down at her.

"Why I love you. What would you say if I told you there was no answer to such question?" Clary's eyes widened but he continued on.

"I remember seeing you for the first time in my life. Your red hair was untied and was swaying along with the wind as you were caught up in your own world, oblivious to everyone around you as you painted in Arts Class. At that time, I realised then that I could not stop thinking about you. And when you smiled, it was as if somebody had taken my breath away. I guessed at that time, I had already fallen for you only I didn't know it. When we paired up for History, I felt as if I was already in heaven as you were by my side. Then we became best friends. But somehow, I felt mad whenever you hang out with Simon during lunch and I wondered why. Why was I mad when you hang out with other guys when there was nothing between us? So, I came up with this reasoning that you were like my sister. What an idiot," he whispered softly.

"Jace, I-" Clary started but Jace put a hand up to tell her that he was not finished.

"That was the first year. In second year, I could not keep myself away from you. Every moment spent away from you was as if I was spending a century in hell. I did not know then what I was feeling. I thought I was sick. My heart was always throbbing with pain whenever you're not there. Then, I tried dating other girls, thinking this pain in my heart will subside. However, when I was with them, I craved for your company even more. You were always in my thoughts. Your smile brightened up my darkest days; your very presence calmed me. And when you nearly fell off the cliff, I could feel as if my heart was thorn into shreds if you really fell. I knew then that if you had died, I would kill myself because I couldn't save you. After that day, I realised that all this time, I was in love with you and nothing could tear this bond I had with you."

"The answer to your question is that because of who you are is why I love you. Yes, people told you 'you are plain and boring' but to me, you are the reason why I live. Before coming to Hayes, I felt so lost every time and when I met you, everything changes. I fell in love with you because you _are_ different. Clary, don't change yourself for anyone, especially me. I love you for who you are and I made no mistakes about loving you for that. Don't you ever say you don't like the way you are. Because of who you are, you had stolen my heart, my soul and my breath. Don't change, remember that."

Jace leaned towards her, their foreheads touching. His breath warmed her face. Tilting her face up, Jace pressed gently against her lips, softening under her touch. It was a gentle kiss, as if he did not want to hurt her, as if she was everything to him. She _was _everything to him. Too soon, he broke away and kissed her forehead, her nose and her cheeks before meeting her lips again. Clary wrapped her arms around his neck while his arms wrapped her around her waist, bringing her closer to him. Finally, they broke away and Jace nuzzled her nose, muttering under his breath, "I love you Clary."

However, they were brought back to reality when the dormitory lights went out.

"Oh, lights out," Clary gasped softly. Jace took her hand, their fingers lacing.

"I'll walk you back," he said, bringing her hand up and kissing her fingers. She looked up into his eyes, which was sparkling with happiness and she saw herself in his eyes and knew she looked the same. As they headed back to the dormitory, hand in hand, Clary realised that Isabelle had spoken the truth.

The best way to be the best girlfriend, Jace's girlfriend, was to be yourself.

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How was it? I hope you guys like it... Do review before you leave! I'll try to reply to them.

*Just added.

Is it better if Chapter 3 is about Valentine's Day or should I go into the main plot now? Do tell me!


	3. Sweet Valentine

Hey All! Here's chapter 3. It's a bout Valentine's Day

Dedicated to Jace's lover and loving ya as they want this chapter.

Want to say thanks to Judith (I'm too lazy to write your pen name), loving ya, Jace's lover, MiniSloth

Also thanks to bennylis, ortonga99, billiejoe4ever. Thank you for adding Glass Hearts to your fav/alert list! Thank You so much guys!

Do review at the end ok? Don't just add, do review too!

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Chapter 3- Secret Valentine

A/N: Do remember that this is a romance story. There will be no mentioning of Valentine Morgernstern or anything with the likes of him as he never existed in this AU/ story and will never fit if he ever existed...

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February 14. A special day in the Hayes Academy. A day where girls will give chocolate to boys they like and hopefully, they will like them too. A day where the usually quiet Hayes Square will be filled with chatters, giggles of girls and the soft music from the band the Student Council had invited. A day where young couples will get together but will be watched by the discipline mistresses. A day which Clary dreaded the most. She had dreaded it so much that she had totally forgotten about it. What an idiot.

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Clary was woken up at 6am in the morning, before daybreak, by the high-pitched screams of Isabelle who was bustling around the already compact room at top speed. Her long black hair was done in a French braid and her school uniform was on her bed, though with a few adjustments. One thing about the Hayes uniform is that girls were supposed to wear a collared white blouse, a black-striped necktie tucked in behind the collar, black and white plaid skirt and sneakers of any kind. The guys on the other hand wore a black blazer over their white collared shirt -tucked in-, a black-striped necktie and tailored pants and sneakers-preferably black. When it was hot, they were allowed to take off their blazer and rolled up their sleeves, as long as their shirt remains tucked in. There was little tolerance to uniform infringements. One uniform infringement meant a day in the Infirmary or in the Janitor's care.

Isabelle's adjustments were not that serious. She just loved to roll up her already short sleeves, revealing her well-toned arms, and her necktie was always tucked out. Sometimes, Clary wondered how she got away with them. Right now, Isabelle was using her notebook and was chattering energetically on her phone, talking about some boy band concert near the Academy.

"Pipe down, will you? Not all of us can sleep soundly in the night. The sun has not even risen," Clary muttered, throwing her blanket over her head, groaning. What was wrong with her roommate? Did she not know the time? However, just before Clary could go back to sleep, Isabelle yanked the blanket up and Clary found herself staring into the bright light of the room. Squinting, Clary reached for the blanket again and covered herself up. However, Isabelle repeated the same thing, but this time, she threw the blanket on her own bed.

"Izzy, I'm exhausted. I can't sleep yesterday with you talking in your sleep the whole night," Clary groaned, taking her pillow and used it to cover her face.

"Hah! I did not talk in my sleep! Besides you were snoring so loudly, even the owls can't sleep," Isabelle snorted. Groaning, Clary sat up and stared at her groggily, her eyes half opened.

"Owls don't sleep, weirdo. They're nocturnal. Don't you pay any attention in Science?"

"Duh, isn't that what I meant? Anyway, why aren't you getting ready for your very first date?"

"Date? What date?"

Isabelle stopped for awhile, looking at Clary in disbelief. "Clary, do you know what day is today? It's February 14. Valentine's day. V-day."

Clary's eyes widened with shock. She had forgotten.

"Eurgh!" She groaned again, slamming herself down on her bed and smacking her face with her pillow. Laughing gaily, Isabelle pulled her up and pushed her into the bathroom, chattering about some new coconut soup she found in the mall, some papaya shampoo which promises nice-smelling hair and whatnot.

One hour later, Clary emerged from the showers, shivering. She never bathed before eight. If she got pneumonia today, she would blame Isabelle for it. She took a step into the room, walking slowly. Isabelle was sitting on her bed, laying out the newly-ironed clothes. She stood up and ushered Clary to walk faster, ordering her to get dress. Once Clary was done, Isabelle pushed her down in front of her vanity mirror and started hair-drying her hair.

"Izzy, why do you wake up early in the morning today? It's not as if you have a date or crush or something," Clary asked, her voice slightly louder over the sound of the hair-dryer.

"I can't help it. I just love breaking people's hearts. The sound of it shattering into pieces, it's my favourite sound of the day," Isabelle answered her dramatically. Clary rolled her eyes. Isabelle was a sadist at times.

"So, what happens if Simon's heart breaks?" Clary asked, delighted that she had used Simon as an example. Isabelle had taken a liking at him but she never admitted so. Isabelle blushed pink and averted her eyes, looking at Clary's red hair as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Alright, I'm done. Now, I'm going to straightened it, make you look different," Isabelle told her, changing the conversation. She took the hair iron out and started doing it to Clary's hair slowly, taking her time. Once they were done, Isabelle clipped the straightened bangs to the side and started doing her own touch to Clary's hair.

In the end, Clary looked entirely different. However, she felt strangely worried.

"Jace-" she was about to say it out loud but stopped. Jace had told her not to change. When she looked at herself now, she knew she changed a lot. As much as she like her new look, she was afraid that Jace did not like it.

"I'm sure Jace will. I did tell him I'm giving you a makeover. Oh, when are you guys going to tell people that you are dating?" Isabelle said, answering her unspoken question and asking a very sensitive question. Clary played with a stray lock of hair, thinking to herself. Suddenly, she remembered something important that somehow she wondered how she could forget it.

"I didn't buy him anything!"

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That pretty much summed up what happened earlier on between both of them. Clary sighed and slump her head down on the table, already feeling sleepy because she had woken up too early. Suddenly, she heard the squealing of the other girls in her Homeroom class and brought her head up, only to find her face blushing scarlet. Jace had walked into the class, looking bored as usual. Girls crowded around him, giving him their gifts. He took them without saying anything and was about to walk to his seat when he stopped short and stared. At her.

Clary could feel herself blushing even more furiously and looked away. Somehow, she found herself wanting the lessons to start now. True to her words, Mr Roger walked in and started his lesson. However, throughout the whole class, she could feel a certain pair of eyes boring behind her. She did turn once and saw Jace looking at her with an intense expression that she cringed in her seat and not looking back again. He was mad, mad at her. Mad that she had changed her looks.

When it was time to change class, Jace walked past her desk, not stopping, but a note landed on her desk. She looked up and saw Jace walking off, catching up with Aaron and Adrian, the twins. She released the breath that she was holding, glad that he did not talk to her so that there would not be a confirmation of the rumours that they were together. They had not made in public yet, since Jace knew that Clary was not ready.

Unfolding the note with unsteady hands, she nearly cringed, afraid it was something bad. Turns out it was actually him asking her if she wanted to join him for a picnic near the school garden after school. Smiling to herself, Clary tucked the note in her file and stood up from the desk, walking with a spring in her step.

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School ended early in Hayes Academy. Unlike every other boarding school, Hayes actually celebrated Valentine's Day. Right now, as Clary made her way to the school garden to meet Jace, she passed by the school's open space and saw the Student Council preparing for the evening Valentine's concert. She passed by Hazel and gave a thumbs-up at the decoration. Hazel waved in return and headed off, continuing with her work. Clary continued walking until she reached the fringe of the school garden. As she scanned around, looking for Jace, she could feel the soft breeze picking up, her long 'now straightened' hair swayed along. The clip which Isabelle had used to hold back her fringe was loose and she unclipped it, her mood getting better with the weather. However, everything fell out of the roof when she saw Jace approaching her from the school garden, his hands in his pockets. She felt as if her heart was stopped, her breath turning faster just from the sight of him. She wondered when this whole feelings will stop, when she will stop feeling as if her breathe was taken away just from the sight of him.

"Been waiting long?" he asked her, smiling a soft smile that warmed her.

"Not really, I just reach here," Clary told him, mirroring his grin. She tucked her bangs with the clip but Jace stopped her. He took the clip from her hand and kept it in his pocket. He ran his fingers through her hair, slowly, and took a long loose strand in his hand. He brought it up to his lips and kissed it gently. Clary stared at him wide-eyed, shock at his gesture. Somehow, she loved what he had done, loved the way he had shown her _his _love. However, he released his hold on her hair and took her hand in his, leading her away.

Jace had prepared a picnic spot especially for them in the middle of the garden. Clary sat on the soft picnic blanket on the grass, taking in the smell of the grass. She was attracted to nature, to greenery in a certain unexplainable way, just as how she was attracted to heights. Jace sat next to her and took out a basket which he had hidden behind the tree trunk they were leaning on.

"Wow, I didn't know you can cook, Wayland," Clary teased, reaching out for the basket.

"I didn't. I asked Kellie to help. Though I had to tell her about us since she won't cook without a valid reason. Sorry," he said, apologising. He sounded insincere but his eyes told a different story.

"It's ok. At least you get me something. I didn't get you anything," Clary told him bashfully, averting her eyes.

Jace placed a finger on her chin and lifted her face up, his brown eyes boring into her green ones.

"Having you in my company, alone with me, is enough as a gift. It's hard enough for us to talk in school without raising rumours and I know you don't like it. That's why I treasure every time I get to spend with you," he spoke softly. Clary reached out, her head tilting. He got her meaning and soon, his lips were pressed on hers, turning soft at once.

Jace held the back of her head firmly while she placed both of her hands on his chest, feeling for his heartbeat. It beat strong under her touch, the feel of it comforting her. Jace tilted her head, angling for more. She pressed on, wanting more from him. Too soon, they stopped kissing but he didn't let go. His face went close to her ears, and his warm breath tickled her neck. He faced down slowly, gently, his nose nuzzling her skin. Then, he buried his face in the hollow of her neck, holding on to her and never wanting to let her go. Clary played with his soft hair, running it through her fingers. Suddenly, he felt him moving and let go off him.

"Uhh... we're supposed to have lunch and ..." Clary started, feeling awkward all of a sudden. Jace smirk at her and reached inside the picnic basket, revealing delicious food. There were cakes, bread, pancakes and pastries. Clary reached out for the first delicious thing. Pancakes.

"My, my... I didn't know my girlfriend is a glutton," Jace teased, but was stopped short when Clary fed a huge piece of her pancake into his open mouth.

* * *

"So, Aaron and Adrian are trying to get Kellie?" Clary asked, leaning against Jace's lean body, a plate of cake on her lap.

"Yeah, that's the story," Jace confirmed, an arm around her shoulder. Clary turned her back and fed him a piece of her cake while he fed her his share.

"Hmm, who do you think will succeed?" Clary asked, smiling as she imagined the twins dating the same girl.

Jace shrugged and opened his mouth as she fed him again. He chewed slowly, relishing the moment they were having together.

"Oh, it's almost sunset. Are we going to the concert?" Clary asked all of a sudden. Jace scanned the horizon and sure enough, the sun was setting. Clary shifted from where she was sitting and Jace removed his arm and stood up, offering his hand to her. She took it and straightened her clothes. She turned to him and the next words that came from her lips stunned him.

"C'mon, let's go to the concert together. I think it's time people know."

Jace stared at her, his mouth agape. He could not believe she had said them, could not believe that really happened.

"Together? As in, like now?" he asked, trying to confirm what she was saying.

"Yeah, I... I think I'm ready." But whatever she was about to say was drowned off as Jace pressed his lips on hers, catching her off guard. However, she recovered from her shock and responded, her warm breath in rhythm with his. He held the back of her head while she wrapped her arms around his neck. Jace broke off once in a while, but always come back for more.

"I wanna try something," he murmured in between kisses. He nipped her lower lip and she gasped in his open mouth. He moaned and when their tongues met, gentle and soft and wet, it was as if the world exploded around them. She felt as if electricity ran through her. He knees felt weak under his touch, made her whole spine rattle like bones. Jace put his right arm around her waist, holding her close, and cupped the back of her head with his left.

Finally, he stopped and moved away, releasing her from his hold. He turned around, not letting her see his face.

"I'm sorry. I went too far," he muttered, still not looking at her.

Clary licked her lower lip before moving forward, approaching him. She placed a hand on his arm, a silent gesture for him to look at her. But he did not.

"Hey, it's ok. I kind of like it..." She told him. Jace spun and stared at her, disbelieving. Clary nodded and gave him a weak smile which he too returned weakly. She went back to the picnic area and packed up. Jace went back and helped her too. Finally, with the picnic basket in her hand, she was about to take Jace's hand when he stopped her. His right hand was in his pocket and when he took it out, he was holding a velvet red box.

"I have a little something to commemorate today. It's not much, but yeah," he finished lamely. He opened it and resting perfectly in the middle was a heart-shaped ring with a small emerald diamond in the middle. Clary was lost of words. Silently, Jace took out the ring and took her right and in his. Then, he slid in the ring on her ring finger. Done, he took her and up and kissed it, softly.

"Jace, I-" Clary started but when she saw the gleam in his eyes, she knew it meant a lot to him, as well as to her.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, her voice tight from the emotions she was feeling. Jace smiled down on her and took her hand. Together, they walked back to the school ground, hand in hand with nothing to fear.

* * *

As the passed by the school grounds, a silver linear car pulled over and out stepped a girl with dark brown hair. She was wearing the school's uniform. Without taking a second glance into the car, she proceeded to the Principal's office, her lips pursing. From the corner of her eye, she saw her blonde guy who was holding hands with a small redhead. The guy caught her attention. Smiling to herself, Aline knew there was at least a cute guy in this boring old school...

* * *

Preview:

_Aline, why don't you seat next to Jace?_

_Who is she, Wayland?_

_I always get what I want, Rochelle. He will be mine, no matter what._

**_Next chapter: Introducing Aline Penhallow..._**


	4. Introducing Aline Penhallow

A/N: Alright, here's chapter 4. I hope you'll like it...

Want to say thanks to: jaceandclaryforever, Jace's lover, loving ya, mangaka pixie, Katy Rose, JiLLiAN2548 for reviewing! Thank you so much!

Also want to say thanks to: Krys Berm, katiebear95, AddisonM, Katy Rose, JacqBear, leechlover1901, JiLLiAN2548 for adding Glass Hearts as you fav story/ story alert.

Thank you so much everyone and do continue supporting Glass Hearts! And for those who are reading, do review at the end!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Instruments**

* * *

Chapter 4: Introducing... Aline Penhallow

Izzy: Party tonight?

Me: Can't. Studying.

Izzy: -_- Clary rarely studies. So why now? Or r u spending time with Jace, tat's y?

Me: No, I'm srsly studyin. Gotta get a distinction for at least 5 sbjs.

Izzy: Oh. Y?

Me: Scholarship.

Izzy: Damn. This sux a lot. Oh well... I'll find someone else 2 rope in. Wat lsn r u hving now?

Me: Ms Ingrid. *puking*

Izzy: The scandal teacher? Hahas! Gr8 man!

Me: *rolls eyes* whatev. Anyways, ttyl. She's here.

Clary kept her iPhone in her pocket just as soon as Ms. Ingrid, a.k.a Ms Scandalous by Isabelle, walked in. Her notebook was clutched against her chest as her dress clung on tightly to her skin. She might dress skimpily and act as a teenager, but when she teaches, it was as if she was a totally different person. Maybe that was the reason why she was not sacked. The class stood up and greeted her in their usual monotonous tone and she did not seem to mind, as usual. She placed her stuff on the teacher's desk and looked outside the door, as if looking for someone. She then beckoned for that someone to come in with a wave of her hand. All eyes turned to look at the newcomer. It was a girl.

She looked as if she was part-Asian. Her silky dark hair was tied into a French braid which was tied slightly sideways. Her lips were painted glossy pink, suiting her pale features and her delicate almond-shaped eyes. Her sharp chin was pointing like a cat's, her whole face giving off a mischievous and alluring expression. She was not really that pretty, not as pretty as Isabelle, but she was striking. Her uniform was neatly ironed and pressed as if it was new, though most likely it was. Her necktie however, was tucked out of her blouse and her skirt was really... short. At once, Clary caught the far-off glances of her male classmates. True enough, they were caught up with this new girl. Ms Ingrid stood up and approached the girl.

"I'll like to introduce to you a new classmate of ours. This is Aline Penhallow."

* * *

Aline eyes scanned the class briefly, not bothering to look closely. Same old, same old. This was her second time transferring schools in a year. Though it seemed as if she was going to be stuck in here for the rest of her school year as her father seemed to think this was the best way to groom his daughter to be a woman with manners and contributing in society. Her eyes went to a girl with curly red hair which was tied into a ponytail and emerald green eyes which contrasted with her hair. Somehow, that girl seemed so familiar, but Aline did not know where she had seen her. The girl stared back at Aline, her expression a mixture of confusion and... fear. That was weird. Why would she feel fear? Aline had not even done anything to scare her... yet.

"Alright. Now, where should Aline seat? Hmm... How about next to... Jace? Jace, you don't mind, do you?" the skimpily-dressed teacher was talking, pointing to a side in the classroom. Aline's eyes followed the hand and stopped short when she saw who the teacher was pointing to. It was the gorgeous blonde guy she had seen yesterday. His blonde hair was gleaming under the sun and his eyes... They looked as if they changed colour every time he moved. He looked like an angel, but Aline could guess that he probably acted the opposite of an angel. He looked up boringly and stared at her. However, unlike any other guy, he did not seem to react. He just stared at her, his expression remaining as if he was bored, and nodded lazily before staring back out of the window as if he could not care less.

For the first time, a guy did not pay any attention to her. For the first time in her life, a guy did not gawk at her. Aline felt as if her ego was blown into bits by this very perfect guy. She felt as if her heart was breaking into pieces just because he ignored her. Never mind, she would get him to like her, as always. Getting such a hot guy would satisfy her a lot. Smiling to herself, she strutted to her new seat, making sure that she swayed her hips so that she commanded everyone's attention.

* * *

"Hey, you don't really mind, do you?" the new girl, Aline, asked him in a sugar-coated voice. Jace barely even glanced at her, just shaking his head. He heard her pulled out the chair and sat down on it. As Ms Ingrid carried on with the lesson, Jace just stared in front, physically there but not mentally. Right now, his thoughts were drifting off to Clary who was seated so far away from him. He wished Clary was the one sitting next to him and not this new girl. He could smell the fragrance coming off Clary, the warmth of her skin, the colour of her eyes, the feel of her hair. Everything about her was committed to memory. They had made their relationship public and already, it seemed as if he found himself walking into girls who had red puffy eyes as if they had been crying. Jace smiled to himself. His heart will always belong to Clary and no one else. He stared at the back of Clary's head as she focused during the lesson, sometimes brushing away her fringe, sometimes biting her pen as she thought hard. Right now, looking at Clary's antics was the most fun thing to do.

* * *

"Alright. Now, in your own pairs, I want the both of you to discuss about the changes in Macbeth right after he heard the prophecy from the three witches. Give me at least 3 detailed points. Refer to Act 1 Scene 3 only. Begin now."

That was the instruction Ms Ingrid had given them 10 minutes ago and now, they had only 5 minutes left to do their work. Aline looked up from the Macbeth book she had loaned from Jace and stared at her partner who was writing the points down without even discussing with her. After 3 minutes, he pushed the paper to her without saying anything and went back to looking outside the window. Aline stared at the paper silently and indeed, he had written everything in his neat cursive handwriting. As she stared at the paper, Aline had this burning desire to tear the paper in shreds and demanding him to discuss with her the points like what they ought to. However, she controlled her temper and turned to Jace.

"Shouldn't we have discussed the points together?" she asked, smiling at him while pushing the paper back to him with her right hand.

"There's no need to. Discussing with you will only get the points messed up," he answered in a bored tone, still not looking at her.

Aline sucked in her breath, shocked out of her wits. This guy had just discreetly called her stupid! No one had ever talked to her that way, let alone in that voice!

"Oh really? So, you're saying that you memorised the book? You don't look to me like a Literature student," Aline commented, adding sarcasm in her tone.

"What I do or what I look like does not concern you. We might be sitting next to each other but we are not partners. So, if you want a partner, why don't you change a seat with someone who talks and discuss. I'm sure everyone else here is willing for you to seat next to them," he said. Only now did he turn to face her and when he did, there was nothing in his eyes except anger. Anger for something she did not even do. But Aline was not the type who submitted to fear. She wanted to prove herself to this unknown boy who had completely ignored her for the whole time.

"So, why do you say you don't mind me sitting next to you when in fact, you do? Is it just to please the woman who claims she is a teacher but does not dress or behave like one? Or is it to please a girl in this class that you are actually kind-hearted enough to let a new girl seat next to you but you don't even care after that? Who are you trying to impress, Jace?" Aline asked, adding venom in her voice as she said his name with spite.

"What I do or what I say is none of your concern. Perhaps you have to know Ms Ingrid and my classmates more clearly before insulting them. And who I impress or who I like is not in your list of necessary concerns. The only person worth impressing is someone who I love most. So, if you're done with these irritating questions, let me ask you one question. Are you sure you're in the right place? Because in my opinion, you should have stayed in _your own_ Institute of Mental Health and never have left."

That was the last thing he said before lapsing back into his solitary bubble. Aline was left dumfounded by whatever he had said. She had never felt so... hated. However, at the same time, her growing attraction to this unknown guy grew bigger. She wanted him, wanted him all to himself. He might be playing hard to get, but sooner or later, he would succumb to her, as usual.

* * *

"Who is she, Wayland? You seem to know her from somewhere," Clary said while they were having lunch at her favourite place which was near the garden.

"I don't know her, Fray. She's a new girl after all," Jace said, shrugging while helping himself to another sandwich in the paper bag. Clary chewed on her croissant, deep in thought.

"Are you sure? She seemed very familiar to you. Kinda chatty. And the way she looks at you, it's as if she wants you all to herself," Clary confided after swallowing her food. Jace stopped eating and looked at her, his eyes blazing.

"I should be flattered that you were staring at me, Clarissa. But, yes, I'm sure I have not seen her or know her from anywhere. And to tell you the truth, I hated her from the first moment I saw her. I know her personality from the way she dressed as well as from the way she acted and talked in class just now. She might appear friendly but even sometimes, looks can be deceived. Be wary of her, Clary," he advised her, his eyes boring into hers and filled with seriousness he rarely showed. Clary nodded and averted his stare. She stared at the croissant in her hand and realised that she had thought of the same thing as to what he had said. Of their first impression of Aline Penhallow.

"On the other hand, you look very cute when you're jealous," he teased while patting her on the head with his free hand. Clary could feel the heat on her cheeks rising from that comment and mumbled something in reply.

* * *

Aline stared out of her window of her dormitory room, her arms crossed. Below her, she saw Jace and the redhead earlier on in class walking hand in hand to the direction of the schools' library. It was then did she realise why that girl looked so familiar and why Jace completely disregarded her. She had seen them before yesterday when she first arrived. Only yesterday, the girl had straight hair, though from the looks of it, she had straightened it just temporarily for yesterday. Aline heard someone unlocking the door and a jingling of the keys when the door creaked open. Her roommate, Rochelle, had arrived.

"What's up? You called?" Rochelle asked, raising her BlackBerry. Aline did not turn away from the window. Instead she only nodded. Rochelle gave a sigh and stood next to her to see what Aline was staring at. Rochelle gave a tiny sigh when she saw Jace and the redhead together.

"They look really cute together, don't they?" she said to Aline.

"Tell me more about them," Aline ordered. Shrugging, Rochelle turned away from the window and moved to her bed.

"Jace Wayland is the most popular guy in school. A lot of girls confessed to him but he had always turned them down, saying he's not interested. The girl is his best friend, Clarissa Fray, though she's much more known as Clary. She's this prodigy in Art. Heard she was aiming for a scholarship to an Arts School in Russia. They're really close, even before they were together in a relationship. They've been best friends since they were in the First Year. In the Second Year, Jace had saved her from falling off a cliff. They're only going out together just yesterday but there were rumours that they've been together since the New Year. That's all I know about them," Rochelle confided as she sat cross-legged on her bed.

Aline pursed her lips as she listened to her friend's brief explanation. Aline turned away from the window and stood in front of Rochelle.

"You're not close to them, are you?" Aline asked, her mind already whirling with a plan.

"No, not really."

"Hmm... Scholarship, art prodigy, eh? Perfect!" Aline said in malicious glee.

"Please don't tell me you're thinking of _that_," Rochelle groaned, regretting telling her about Jace and Clary.

"Oh, I'm so thinking about _that_."

"Look, whatever you're thinking, I so do not want anything to do with it. Why are you doing this? Can't you give them a chance?" Rochelle declared, already feeling fed-up with Aline's antics.

"If you're not going to help me, I should just phone my father and tell him to drop the deal with the Davidson family. I'm sure _my_ father won't mind when he hears that Mr Elbert Davidson's daughter is not helping _his_ only daughter. Though I'll pity _your_ father when he realised that _his_ own daughter was the cause of the deal dropping," Aline said, sighing as she picked up the phone on her table and was pressing her father's number.

"Hello, daddy. I'm not having such a fun time in Hayes Academy since my roommate, Rochelle D..."

Rochelle bit her lower lips before she spoke, letting Aline hear the words she had expected to hear from Rochelle's mouth.

"Alright, as long as it's not too serious. Don't drop the deal, please. For my father's sake, I'll help you."

"Oh, it's ok Daddy. She's actually nice, just that she did not know me that well. Ok then, I have classes to go to. Love you lots!" Aline said into the phone, smiling slyly at her friend. She ended the call and placed the phone down before turning to her friend.

"What are you going to do now? How are you going to make him like you? Keep in mind that Jace is different from any other guy. Once he loves someone, he's bound to her," Rochelle warned.

"Oh, I'll make him fall for me, hard. No one can resist me, no matter how hard they try. Every one succumbs to temptation, no? I always get what I want, Rochelle. I'll come up with a plan and you just have to help me implement it, just like a puppeteer and his puppets. In the meantime, let's asked a good friend of mine to be Clary's 'friend' now, hmm? I'm sure he'll be most interested. Heard he's a prodigy in Arts too," Aline said, her lips widening as the plan formed in her mind.

The noon bell rang. Sighing to herself, Rochelle picked her bag from the bed and walked out of the room to her next class. Aline went to her table and took her phone. She unlocked it and stared at the list of calls she made today.

There was none. Everything had just been a facade. Now, she had Rochelle tied to her. All that was left was asking _him_ for help.

* * *

Clary looked up when she felt someone tapping her on her shoulder. She found herself staring into the black eyes of a dark-haired boy who looked so eerily familiar and eerily unknown. He smiled down at her and Clary felt unsure as to how she should react.

"Hey, I need help with my Art. Heard you were a prodigy in it, so I need your help," he said, with a hint of a Russian accent in his voice as he gestured that she should follow him.

"Who told you that I'm a prodigy? I'm just average."

"Oh, a certain bird told me about it. So, are you helping me or not?" he asked, his eyebrows knotting into a frown. Sighing, Clary stood up and went over to his place. She took a look at his painting and frowned.

"There's nothing wrong with-" Clary was saying but a finger was placed over her lips to keep her quiet. Clary felt herself panicking as she realised what the guy was about to do. She tried looking around for help but realised that she was in a secluded corner of the room.

"You did not look well enough, Clarissa," he said, his accent thickening as he whispered in her ear, his voice like velvet. He removed his finger which surprised Clary. She whirled around to look at this unknown guy who was sitting on his stool while he sketched. In quick broad strokes, he sketched something on a new paper with a black marker. After 6 minutes, he had sketched a picture of her in the moment. Her hair was swaying in the wind, her expression calm as she painted on her own canvas.

"This was what caught my attention. What do you think? Is it good enough to pass?" he asked her, grinning at her while he tore paper and handing it to her. After recovering from her shock she took it gingerly and with a quick glance, nodded. He stood up and offered his hand to her.

"I'm Damen. Damen Levin."

"Clary. Clary Fray," she said, giving her hand too.

"Well Clary, I have this feeling that we're going to be good friends," he grinned, taking her hand and giving it a shake.

* * *

_Preview:_

_Damen, even his name sound so sexy..._

_I don't want you to hang around him, Clary_

_Hey, Clary, I like you, a lot. Can you be my girlfriend_

**Next chapter: Who is Damen?**

**

* * *

**Hey! Thanks for reading chapter 4! Do give me your feedbacks and reviews for this chapter! Don't just read, review too!


	5. Who is Damen?

A/N: Hey! Here's Chapter 5 of Glass Hearts

Want to say thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter: katiebear95, Jace's lover, slaygal05, LeaderOfNerdHerd, 158. Thank you so much and do keep on reviewing.

Also want to say thanks to those who added Glass Hearts as fav story/story alert: elisa5294, kjs2259, LeaderOfNerdHerd, 158, Bubbly714, iBubble Thank you so much you guys!

Enjoy! Please review in the end! It really helps me.

* * *

Chapter 5- Who is Damen?

"So, how come you always get the hot guys?" Isabelle asked as she lied on her bed on her stomach, a box of chocolates in front of her. She chose a white chocolate heart from the box and bit into it, savouring the taste. Clary was on her own bed and was in the exact same position as Isabelle, also with a box of chocolate in front of her. Clary looked up at her best friend and rolled her eyes at the comment.

"Because I was being my charming self? And I'm only dating one guy, Izzy. So it's supposed to be hot _guy_ not _guys_ with an S," Clary remarked, biting into a piece of hazelnut chocolate.

"I know Jace is hot. But I'm talking about the other guy. Damen. Even his name sounds sexy... I like the way it rolls around my mouth, just like my chocolate. Da-men," Isabelle sighed as she bit into another piece of chocolate.

Clary rolled her eyes at her deluded friend. True, Damen was her friend ever since they met a week ago. In fact, they had a lot in common. They liked the same genre of music, movies and books. They started hanging out together, getting quite close as they get to know each other more. He was humorous, witty and, like Isabelle said, sexy. However, there was no way Clary was going to admit to that.

"Hmm... Why are you so obsessed with him?" Clary asked, teasing her friend.

Isabelle suddenly sat up, her mouth full with chocolate and placed a hand in front of her.

"Four things," she said, swallowing the chocolates in her mouth while putting up four fingers.

"One, he has the most beautiful, jizz-inducing eyes you could ever imagine. Black is the new eye colour." One finger was put down.

"Two, he is brimming with talent. He's like the best in Art, but you're better than him, I guess." Second finger went down.

"Third, he's funny with a 'don't care' attitude and he has a _Russian_ accent. I like my boys as badass and his accent made me feel...fuzzy." Third finger went down.

"And lastly, his smile. How can you not admit that naughty little smirk make you feel as if you want to, pardon me for saying this, drop your pants? He's like the epitome of perfection," Isabelle concluded, giving Clary a flirty look who reacted by throwing a pillow into her best friend's face. However, beneath all the laughter, a burning question rose in Clary's heart. Who _is_ Damen? What does he want?

* * *

"Hey, Damen. I want to talk to you," Clary called out after History. Damen was walking out of the class but stopped when he heard her. Damen turned around and gave her a slow lazy smile, which attracted giggles from the other girls as well as made her heart beat faster. Why was she feeling this way around another guy who she did not know well enough? Ignoring the attraction she felt for her new friend, Clary caught up with him and they walked out to their next class together. Soon enough, they had attracted the stares of their schoolmates who were whispering and giving pointed stares at them, probably gossiping about them.

"So, what is it that you want to talk about?" Damen asked, the hint of his accent showing. Clary bit her lower lip, wondering how she should phrase the question.

"Who are you really, Damen?" she finally asked, looking up into his face for a change of expression. He still had his smirk, and was looking straight ahead, as if he did not want her to see his eyes.

"Who I am? That's a really interesting question. Let's just say, I myself don't know," he answered in his usual tone of voice. However, Clary could hear another feeling in his voice. A feeling of sadness...and loneliness. Suddenly, he stopped and his face turned into a mask of arrogance as he stared at whoever was in front of them.

"Well, if I were you, I would be more interested in knowing who _he_ is," he said, a taunting edge in his voice. Clary turned and realised who he was looking at. At once, her guilty conscience took over. She wished that the ground would open up and swallow her whole, just so she would not see him. Because standing before them was Jace, who was looking outrageously pissed off...

* * *

"So, Jace. What are you doing here?" Clary asked, a fake tone of cheeriness in her voice as she tried to strike a conversation with her boyfriend. She had not told him about her new friend, knowing that he would react this way. He was possessive of her and she was both glad and annoyed about it. So far, she did not like being owned.

"Trying to find you. Only realised later on that you were hanging out with another guy who seemed to have his hots on you," Jace muttered through gritted teeth as he led her away from the crowd.

"Jace, we're only friends! Really, there's nothing between us," Clary argued. She stopped following him and he whirled around, barely containing his expression.

"Friends? If he really views you as a _friend_, he wouldn't look at you as if he wants you all to himself!"

"What's your problem Jace? Can't I have any other male friends other than you and Simon?"

"My problem is that you trust people too easily! You're too naive Clary."

"So, you're saying I shouldn't trust you _that_ easily?"

"That's not what I meant, Fray."

"Really? Because, from what I'm hearing, that's exactly what you are implying, _Wayland._"

"I just don't want you to hang out with him, alright? You don't know him that well and you should not get too close. What if he is hiding a dagger behind his cloak of friendliness? I don't want you to get hurt, Clary," he said softly, his anger dropping a notch. Clary crossed her arms in front of her as she leaned against a pillar, staring at her boyfriend who was doing everything to calm both of them down.

"Fine. Just to make sure that your concern is taken seriously, I'll keep my distance and if he started behaving differently, I'll stay away completely. How is that? And last time I check, Damen did not have a knife up his sleeves, so hurting me is kind of unlikely," she said, compromising. She gave a sigh and was about to move towards him when she was engulfed in a tight hug. At once, her anger for Jace faded. She felt strangely at home in his arms as she listened to his rhythmic breathing, feeling contented. Jace pulled away after a while and gave her a quick kiss on her forehead before kissing her right cheek.

"I got to go now. Be careful, alright?" Those were his last words before he left her, her cheek still burning from his kiss.

* * *

Damen felt someone bumping him in the shoulder and at once, he knew who it was. He turned on his heels and went the opposite direction which Clary and the blonde guy went. As usual, he attracted attention with his tousled black hair and deep black eyes. At times, he would return those attentions with his usual lazy smile but right now, there were some serious things that needed to be discussed.

Damen ducked under a low branch and stepped through a low hallway, bending his body as he walked. He could hear the chirping of the birds as he made his way to a place not many in Hayes Academy would know. Once he was done with the hallway, he stepped into a ray of sunlight and looked around him. The ruins of the old West Tower stood in his view. Vines crept around the old pillars, moss covered the tiled floor but other than that, it was the most secretive place in the Academy and standing before the old fountain, was Aline.

Damen approached her as she beckoned him to come quickly. She was a dark beauty compared to the innocent Clary and he wondered again why he was supposed to woo a very plain girl.

"So, what happen? Any updates?" Aline asked as she observed her manicured nails.

"Not really? She's kind of boring to begin with. Why am I supposed to woo her again?" he asked in a bored tone as he leaned against the archaic ruins of the fountain.

"You've seen her boyfriend, haven't you? Jace Wayland. I want him. He should go out with me and not some plain looking girl! What does he see in her!" she shrieked in frustration, griping tightly to her phone which was in her hand.

"So, why do you want to go after a guy who is blind? Aren't you wasting your time?" he asked again. She fixed him with a deathly stare and griped his wrist tightly, her nails digging into his skin.

"You do what you are asked and asking questions is not one of them. Remember, do it right and I'll tell you more about your family. I'm sure you are _dying_ to know the truth about who you really are, Damen _Levin_," she sneered into his face before releasing her hold on him and walking off, leaving him with his own thoughts.

That was right. He was only doing this because she held the key of the truth about his life. She was the one who knew everything about his family, about his past. In exchange, he had to break Clary and Jace apart. However, he did not really tell the truth to her, about Clary, because he was starting to have mixed feelings about this whole thing.

Walking back to where he came from, he knew he should not involve any other feelings into this operation. It was simple. Break them up and he would get the information he needed. That was what he told himself as he walked back to the real school grounds. He spotted Clary and he knew it was time for plan B.

* * *

"So, where's this charming friend of yours?" Isabelle asked, practically standing on tiptoes to look for Damen when she was already tall.

"He went somewhere, Izzy. God, why are you acting like a total fangirl?" Clary sighed, exasperated at her friend's antics.

"Because it's so not fair that you get all the hot guys. And I want to hear his Russian accent. I have this new obsession with Russian guys all of a sudden," she said, bouncing on her toes as she craned her neck, looking out for her new dream guy.

"I gather that your new obsession was because of me," a voice joined in their conversation. Isabelle stopped jumping and turned around to see who had arrived and in a split second, her whole expression shifted. Her eyes were wide, her jaw dropping as she took in Damen, the guy she considered the 'epitome of perfection'.

"You are so different from what I thought you would be," Isabelle stated after a few seconds of silence.

"Really, and how would that be?"

"With beard. Or moustache."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, my lady."

"Flattered. But lacking, as usual. I'm not interested in a guy who flatters others carelessly."

"That's really saddening. I was really looking forward to your company."

"Well, for you, I'll make an exception, I guess, since you can't resist..."

"You."

"I'll give you a hug if this school wasn't so strict."

"Do _you_ want a hug in return?"

Clary looked from Isabelle to Damen as they exchange flirtatious comments back and forth like a tennis match. They really looked cute together, she thought to herself as she observed the whole thing from afar. Finally, Isabelle told him her name and he told her his before she left both of them but not before mouthing to Clary, "Hot!"

Clary rolled her eyes at her friend's hyperactive antics. Isabelle was who she turned to whenever she had problems she knew only Isabelle could help her with. When Clary first realised that she was rooming with Isabelle Lightwood, she had the shock of her life. She had thought that she would never get along with the girl who places fashion as her ultimatum, who places looks on the same level. Turns out, Isabelle was not what Clary thought she was. Let's just say that the girl was the total opposite.

Clary turned to Damen who was walking alongside with her, matching her stride. He looked somewhat calm, but there was something frightening about that calmness.

"So, you and Isabelle, huh?" Clary started, eyeing her friend from the corner of her eyes.

"So, you and Jace, huh?" he replied, answering her question with a question, mimicking her actions.

"What about it?"

"He looks at you as if he owns you, as if you're his piece of gold..."

"Well, we're serious with each other. How about you and Isabelle? Both of you look cute together," she replied, moving back to the actual conversation.

"I don't know. I don't think we are that serious with each other. Besides, I have my eye on another girl. But I don't think she knows it," Damen replied softly, stopping mid-way. Clary stopped too and realised that the corridor was empty except for the two of them.

"Who is she?" she asked, but suddenly felt afraid of his answer.

"She's you."

That was his reply before he embraced her with a kiss on her lips. As his lips mashed against hers, she could not move. Could not push him away. Could not resist. Could not respond. It was as if she was frozen, as if his touch froze her. All she could do was stay still until he finished kissing her. However, he did not push her away. Instead, he griped her wrist, forcing her to look into his eyes which were burning with thinly disguised desire. She could not pull away, even when she wanted to right now.

"I really like you, Clary. I treasure every moment I spent with you, every single second of it. When I first saw you, you took my breath away. I wanted to know more about you and when I did, I was sure of my feelings for you. Please, would you go out with me?"

* * *

Not far from them, Aline hid behind a pillar, hearing everything that was exchanged between them. Smiling to herself, she walked away, satisfied that everything was going according to plan.

* * *

**Preview:**

_What do you see in her, Wayland?_

_Weak, pathetic girl_

_Izzy, I need help_

_Don't you dare lay a hand on her, bastard!_

**Next chapter: What do you want from me?**

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Thank you for reading! Review please! Do give me your feedbacks on this chapter.


	6. Betrayal

Hey, sorry for the late update. I really was having a lot of problem writing this chapter. Really sorry.

Anyway, presenting Chapter 6 of Glass Hearts!

A/N: Want to say thanks to: 158, Liz WaylandHerondaleLightwood , Amber D, amicoco , loving ya , SimplyLily94 , katiebear95 for reviewing! Thanks a lot!

Also to: Liz WaylandHerondaleLightwood, amicoco, SimplyLily94, MortalInstrumentsObsessed for adding Glass Hearts as you fav story/story alert.

And to Krys Berm for helping me Beta this chapter

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Instruments**

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Chapter 6~ Betrayal

It was as if everything paused in motion. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours, hours turned to days, days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, months turned to years and years turned to centuries. That was how Clary felt when she stared into his face, his grief-stricken face as his eyes told her everything he could not say in words. They told her his betrayal, his hurt, his despair but they did not tell her something else. They did not tell her what she had thought she was about to hear. Instead, it was his voice. He said it from his own mouth, told her the very words she had dreaded the most. When the words escaped from his mouth, it was as if time slowed down, as if the universe slowed down as she slowly get what it meant, as the truth sank deep into her bones. Once the words left him, she knew there was no turning back. She knew she could not do anything to turn back time and to will that the incident never happened. Clary knew there was nothing she could do.

She made no attempts to argue her case, to stop him from leaving and to hear her out. She felt as if the world came crashing down on her and no one could get her back up. She felt as if she lost something she could not describe. Everything was not what it seemed. Everything changed just because of that incident. Words were stuck in her throat, her voice gone. Her mouth turned dry; she could not even whisper. She was dimly aware of him looking at her one last time before turning away and Isabelle running after him, yelling at him to stop. However, she could not feel it, feel the very emotion which had driven her, which had fuelled her to continue her life. It was as if a part of her was missing. She could still hear his words ringing in her ears, as if he was still there and saying those words over and over again.

_~Flashback~_

Clary counted in her heart the seconds that ticked by as she was wrapped inside Damen's arms unwillingly. She counted vivaciously, the rage in her turning up a notch after every second. She wanted to move, to pull out of this uncomfortable embrace but she could not. Damen was strong and he was preventing her from escaping. Finally, she could not take it any longer. Let politeness be damned.

"Damen. Let me go. Now," she said through gritted teeth. Damen, shocked from the ferocity in her tone, released her silently. He stared at her, mouth agape, as if he could not believe that she had just said those five words. It was as if he never heard those five words before. Well, reality check for him then. With a stiff nod as an acknowledgement, Clary turned on her heels and walked off, leaving him behind with a stupid look on his handsome face.

Every step she took away from him was burning her. Right now, the only thing she felt was to slap him and to yell her head off at him. She hated it, she hated the kiss. She could feel the anger, the rage building up in her and she could barely suppress it. She wanted to hit something hard, something she never felt before as she had never been this violent or in this kind of situation. She just felt like hitting something, rather than a certain someone, to release all her anger away. She felt so pent up and she swore she was trembling with fury. However, in all her moment of irritation, she did not hear footsteps behind her, catching up with her, until someone pulled her right elbow.

There was no mistaking who that someone was. Damen had caught up with her and pulled her elbow, forcing her to face him. He placed both hands on her cheeks and kissed her again, hard. Clary's eyes widened from the sudden repeated act and she clenched her hands into fists by her sides, willing herself to control her emotions. Finally, he let her go and stared at her, his black eyes boring into her green ones.

"Did you not like it? Tell me what I did wrong? Why, why can't you return my feelings or the least return the kiss? Do you not feel the same way about me too?" he said with a note of urgency in his tone, his hands still on her face. Clary stared at him and smirked. Let control be damned. Pulling back her hand, she landed the base of her palm hard enough on his cheek. At once, she felt strangely better after releasing all her pent-up emotions. Stunned, he dropped his hands from her face and his right hand went up to his cheek. He stared at her wordlessly, his eyes demanding her to explain herself.

"One, I did not like it. Two, you did wrong by kissing me in the first place. Three, I'm already going out with someone and I made a promise to him. Four, how deluded can you get? You're mind is fill of delusions, you have to get some air inside that thick skull of yours, instead of your narcissism. I'm not _that_ kind of girl, Levin. I'm disgusted by you and I loathe you. From now on, stay away from me. Don't even talk to me, approach me, walk next to me or even look at me unless you really want yourself to have an early death," she warned him with a flat tone.

With one final look at his stupid face, Clary walked away, feeling proud with what she had done. She had made a promise to Jace and she intended to keep it. She would never betray him. Never.

* * *

Aline waited outside the classroom, feeling bored and hoping she did not look stupid waiting. She tugged the hem of her ugly blouse, wondering who had designed these uniforms. If she had been the one who designed it, it would be so much better than this. Aline leaned against the cool and old wall of the building, resting her head as she counted the seconds before the bell. She could feel the weight of the thing in her skirt pocket and somehow, she started feeling impatient. She could not wait to see his face when she told him the truth, to see the shock and betrayal in his eyes when he sees _it. _

Finally, after 10 seconds, the distinct ringing sound from the bell could be heard. At once, the teacher's droning voice stopped and was replaced by the dragging of chairs and the banging of tabletops. Aline could hear the shuffling of footsteps as students dragged their feet out of the classroom, their chatters filling the air. Aline pushed herself slightly away from the wall, craning her neck to see the person who she was waiting for. Rochelle walked pass her but neither acknowledge the other girl. Finally, she saw the first familiar hint of a blonde hair and knew he was near the back.

Aline leaned back against the wall again, trying to look casual and relaxed when her heart was beating rapidly as she tried to control the excitement she was feeling. He walked pass her and ignored her, not even a glance in her direction. Aline ignored the disappointment and took out the thing in her pocket. She glance at it one last time before saying the line she had rehearsed since just now in the exact same tone that she had wanted it to be.

"How will you react if someone you trusted most betrays you?"

* * *

"How will you react if someone you trusted most betrays you?"

Jace stopped when he heard the question, something he had not wanted to do. He had thought that he could leave her alone and walk away without even talking to her but when he heard that question in a taunting tone of hers; he knew the question was for him.

"What do you want?" he asked warily, not sure if he should even listen to the rest of her conversation. He could hear her approaching him slowly, taking her time.

"Do you think it'll hurt? Do you think you can forgive easily?" she continued asking, this time not even hiding the taunting tone in her voice.

"What _do_ you want,_ Aline_?" he repeated, this time, a note of sarcasm in his voice when he said her name for the first time. She advanced a few more steps and soon, they were face to face.

"Nothing much, just asking questions. Is it a crime to ask questions here? Though if it is, I really have to ask this. What do you see in _her_, Wayland?" she continued, mimicking his tone of voice.

At once, he felt as if he was tongue-tied. He could not speak. He started having this cold and dreaded feeling in his heart without knowing why. He felt weird, like as if he knew where this conversation was going and something he feared most happened. He shook away that thought. No, he trusted Clary. He trusted her to keep the promise they had made earlier on.

_Just to make sure that your concern is taken seriously, I'll keep my distance and if he started behaving differently, I'll stay away completely._

That was what she had said and he knew she was the one who kept her word. It was not in Clary's nature to break promises and that was one thing he had liked about her.

"Oh well, whatever it is, you're going to find out how wrong you are. Thank me for this," she sighed and handed him a photograph, faced down. He raised one eyebrow at her, masking his feelings, and took it. Smirking, Aline walked away, leaving him alone. At once, that dreaded feeling filled his whole body. He felt as if he did not want to look but he had to look. He was filled with indecisiveness and fear, two feelings that never associated with him before.

Taking a deep breath, he prayed that whatever that photo was, it was not what he suspected. He turned it over and at once, he felt as if he was suck into a whirlpool. His breath quickened, his heart was in his throat. He felt as if he wanted to shout in anguish, but he could not. He could not even speak. He felt as if all his energy had left him and all he wanted to do was to sink to the ground and cry his heart out. He wanted to tear that picture, to let it burn in the depths of hell and stay there for eternity. He wanted to act as if he had never seen that picture. But he could not. He knew there was no way he could forget what he had seen.

Jace kept the photograph in his jacket, physically putting it aside but mentally, the image was there. The picture of his Clary in a tight embrace with Damen, their lips locking in a passionate kiss.

* * *

Clary ran her fingers through her hair, sighing. It had been the worst day ever in her whole fifteen years of life. She had never felt this complicated, this hurt, this irritated. Sighing again, she pushed the glass doors of the library and stepped into the cool afternoon breeze. She heard footsteps behind her and then someone tapping her on her shoulder.

"Damen. Seriously, what did I forget this time?" she asked in wearily and when she turned around to look at that someone, she realised her mistake.

"Damen? Well, I'm not him no matter how hard I try. Anyways, you left your purse on the shelf. Thought you might want it back," a mousy looking girl with red hair grinned at her through her white-frame glasses. The girl handed Clary the said black purse and went back into the library. Clary stood alone at the doorway, feeling numb all over. Even though it had only been a few hours, she could already feel the loneliness in heart. She missed his presence even if she never would admit it. She missed his usual chatters, his narcissistic remarks, his frank point of view, his voice but most importantly, him. Yes, she missed Damen but for what he had done, she knew she should not forgive him easily.

Clary steeled her emotions and was about to walk off when she felt someone walking past her. It was Aline. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and tried to ignore the new fear in her. Not now when she was all broken up inside. She took a few steps and just when she started to relax, she heard the other girl's voice.

"Slut." That was what Clary had heard. At once, she stopped walking and spun around, ready to confront Aline. She was inclined to disbelief, to say that she had heard wrongly but one look at the other girl who was already facing her and Clary knew that she had not misheard.

"I beg your pardon. Were you talking to me?" Clary asked, trying to control herself from having a catfight with Aline.

"Yes I was, _Clarissa_. And yes, I did say that word and I'll gladly say it again. Slut. You are a slut aren't you? But of course no one would think so since you look oh so innocent. Take a good look at yourself you midget, a trouble-maker and a two-timing little girl who like to sell herself," Aline said maliciously.

Clary took a step back, being taken aback. She had never seen nor heard someone injecting venom into their voice but that was what she had heard from Aline. She tried to find her voice, tried to tell her she was wrong and to stop acting like such a bitch but she could not. She could only stutter.

"I... I don't get you," Clary stuttered but one look at the other girl's face and she knew she had played into Aline's hands, just the way she wanted it to be.

"Really? Well, from the looks of it, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Does it feel nice kissing Damen? Does it feel nice cheating on your own _boyfriend_?" Aline taunted, a hint of glee in her voice.

This time, Clary really could not respond. She did not know what to say, how to defend herself. When she looked around, she saw a crowd had gather and whispers were heard about the argument. Just like what Aline had wanted.

"Two-timing..."

"Poor Jace..."

"I never thought..."

She never felt this hopeless, never felt this strong need of trying to dispel all rumours even when it was not her fault. I did not kiss Damen! Those were the words she wanted to shout to all of them but she could not. She looked around, trying to find a familiar face but every eyes she met, she could see anger and hurt in them. She was helpless. She could not do anything but wish that the ground would open up and swallow her alive.

"Aline. That's enough," said a very familiar voice. Both girls looked at the direction the voice was heard, shock mirrored on their faces. Damen walked into the centre of the crowd, turned to them and just fixed them with an icy stare. At once, few people got the meaning and disperse, but many stayed even if they felt his threat. He walked towards them and stood by Clary's side, a protective presence in front of her.

Aline stared at him, stunned as if she never seen him before but that expression was soon smoothed out.

"You've gone too far, Aline," he said, his voice icy-calm. "We did not share the kiss. I was the one who kissed her and she did not return it. I could feel her wanting to escape but I held on to her. So now, I'll like to ask you to leave her alone," Damen continued in that same tone of voice, not betraying any of his feelings.

Clary stared at him, stunned that he had defended her. However, he did not even meet her eye, avoiding her while helping her at the same time. Aline was left speechless. She fixed a cold stare at the both of them, turned on her heels and walked off, the rest of the crowd following her lead.

"Damen... I..." Clary started but Damen was turning away from her, walking away as well. He turned back, nodded to her but not meeting her eyes, and went away. Clary stared at his retreating back, incoherent thoughts forming in her mind. He did not even say anything to her or even...look at her. Yes, she had said that exact same thing to him and he did what she had asked him to. Her whole self was started to be filled with guilt and regrets. Why, why must she act so rashly when she now knew that she missed him badly? She felt so torn apart. She must keep her promise to Jace but she felt as if she could not.

"Clary? What happened just now between you, Damen and that new girl?" Clary turned around, glad that she did not tear up, and met Isabelle with a weak smile.

"Izzy. I need your help."

* * *

Isabelle stared at her best friend and with one look; she knew something bad had happened. Clary's eyes were red and there were hints of her about to cry. Taking her gently by her elbow, Isabelle led Clary to their dorm. Their way there was filled with silence. Isabelle knew that Clary wanted did not want to talk now and she respected that.

"So, what happened there?" Isabelle asked her once they were in their room. Clary looked up to her over the rim of her mug, the scent of the hot chocolate drink soothing her. However, Clary did not answer her. Instead, she just stared at the drink, wrapping herself in her own bubble of silence.

"C'mon Clary. If you don't tell me, how can I help you?" Isabelle said again in an exasperated tone. She sat down next to her friend, a gesture saying she would not leave until everything was explained. Clary gave a sigh and told her everything, not leaving anything out.

* * *

"So, you made a promise to Jace and then Damen kissed you and you're torn about whether to keep your promise or break it?" Isabelle said at last after Clary explained everything. Clary could only nod mutely. However, when Isabelle started to say something, there was a knock on their door. Sighing, Isabelle got up and answered whoever the person at the door was. Clary could hear the indistinct sounds of her arguing softly with whoever that person was.

"Isabelle. Please. This is between me and Clary," their visitor said. Clary sat up at once. Jace was here. Maybe he would understand. She heard Isabelle stepped aside and entered her line of vision, Jace behind her.

"This guy here is very persistent," she said in a flat tone, clearly disapproving the visit. Clary looked up and was about to greet him when she realised that he looked troubled. He was not meeting her eyes and his fingers were clenched as if he was trying to suppress whatever he was feeling. He reached into his jacket and took out a photograph. He threw it on her bed and when Clary looked at it, she realised why he looked clearly troubled. It was a picture of her and Damen. The 'kiss'.

"Jace, I can explain," Clary started but Jace raised a hand to cut her off.

"There's nothing to hear, Clary. I understand. It's just that, maybe you should have told me about it instead of me hearing it from others," he said and Clary felt hope as he knew the truth. The truth behind that very incident. However, his next few words were not what she had expected to hear.

"I know Damen is much more interesting than me and I respect what you feel. Maybe its best if we never talk again, that's all I have to say," he said, struggling to get those words out. He gave her a nod and walked off but Clary caught his sleeve.

"Jace, you don't understand. That's not what happened. If you could only hear me out-" she said but Jace pushed her hand away, gently but firmly. He took them in his and then let them go, as if it pained him to touch her.

"I'm done listening, Clary. Maybe you shouldn't have lied to me in the first place. Maybe you shouldn't have made that promise. Maybe I shouldn't have told you I love you if everything is going to end this way. I never expected you to betray me, but I guess the unexpected always happens." With that he walked away, leaving her for good.

That was when time seemed to slow down for her, for her to know that Jace had just broken up with her.

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Preview:

_Can you stop being such a jackass?_

_Pfft. I never knew it would be that easy to provoke you, Wayland_

_I change the plan my own way,Levin. and you know I don't take orders well_

_I still love you, Clary. But I'm willing to ignore it for our friendship._

Next Chapter: Making up?

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Thanks for reading! Review please!


	7. Making up?

Hey, sorry for the kinda late update.

A/N: Wanna say thanks to: katiebear95 , Jace's lover, loving ya, RoseDimitiri ClaryJace, SimplyLily94 and AnniaAngele  for reviewing

and also to:

ChelseaAnne97, mosaicmaker, alexis614, twilight-elliewriter, RoseDimitiri ClaryJace, iluvsya2much, unscenced, Golden Waves for adding Glass Hearts in their story alert/ fav story.

Glad to know that there are people who love Glass Hearts! Thanks a lot guys!

Special thanks to _Krys Berm_ for helping me Beta this chapter!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Instruments**

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Chapter 7~ Making up(?)

Every step he took away from her pained him. Every moment he spent away from her was as if a blade had sliced up his heart. It pained him but he had too much pride to run back to her, wrap her in his arms and tell her he was sorry. He would rather be in pain then to confront the truth that he missed her even when it was only a few hours that they had been apart.

He never knew he felt for her this way... until today. What was it about her that made him this way? Why had he lowered his guard when he had sworn he would not love another girl? Girls are the same; they only brought him hurt when they carried on happily in their lives with their new boyfriends. Clary was the same as them. However, maybe that was partly his fault.

He was the one who kissed her, part of the plan he made with Aline, and thinking that the bond both of them had was strong enough and she would kissed him back. But she did not. Now, he realised that he had miscalculated, that Clary loved Jace; she loved him a lot. Sighing, Damen walked past the dormitories, head hung low, feeling remorseful for what he had done.

"Maybe I shouldn't have told you I love you if everything is going to end this way. I never expected you to betray me, but I guess the unexpected always happens."

Damen paused, realising where he was. He could see Clary's red hair hung all over her face as she looked down, away from her boyfriend who was standing before her, looking pain-stricken. At once, Damen realised what he had overheard. He knew what he had done, knew that he had brought pain in Clary's life when he did not mean to. He had not thought that Jace would know. Unless...

Damen walked away, his hands in his pockets. It was time they really have a proper conversation. Jace would never have known about the kiss unless Aline had told him.

* * *

"Can you not be such a jackass, Wayland? Why can't you hear her out?" Isabelle was yelling at him, rage consuming her. She hated seeing Clary hurt, hated seeing that he was the one who hurt her. She had thought, had hoped, that he would never ever break Clary's heart. She had trusted him to take care of her best friend, but now, it seemed as if she had misplaced her trust. Jace stopped walking and slightly turned his head to look at her.

"What is there to hear, Izzy? I know it's true and you saw the picture to know that it's not even edited. Who would be evil enough to do so?" he reasoned out in a resigned tone, as if he had given up, as if he really wanted to break up with Clary. Isabelle stood where she was and crossed her arms.

"Listen to yourself. You're sounding like an idiot and you're even looking like one. It's as if you really want to break up with her and this is your ticket out! Well, three questions. Who stalks you after class? Who pushed herself to you, wanting you by yourself? Who will have this strong hatred for Clary because she's yours?" she pointed out, rolling her eyes as Jace tried to find an answer to her questions.

"Try Aline. Aline Penhallow."

* * *

Jace stood still, too stunned to speak after hearing the name Isabelle had said. She was the one who had shown him the picture, who told him about everything but after hearing Isabelle, he realised he had overlooked the very possibility.

"How do you know?"

"Oh, I know. Everyone can see it. Maybe coz' you are so blind not to know that she has a humongous crush on you and has this tendency to get what she wants, so naturally, she'll hate Clary and will do anything to hurt her and break you guys apart. Just like the fight earlier on. But, since you said you're done listening, I shouldn't be telling you all these things as your ears might bleed from this meaningless chatter," Isabelle said sarcastically. She turned on her heels and walked away from him, back into her room.

He felt as if he was frozen in ice. As Isabelle's words sank in, he realised he had been an idiot. He was an idiot. He remembered the way Aline smiled, the taunting voice of hers and he knew he had overlooked all those minor details. He caught up with Isabelle and held her by her shoulder. Sighing, she turned to face him, thinly disguising the delight that she had caught his attention.

"Tell me what happened," Jace ordered. Isabelle removed his hand from her shoulder and stared at him intently, as if she wanted him to know what he should do.

"Damen was the one who kissed Clary. Clary did not return it and when she wanted to push him away, he held on to her, preventing her from doing so. Aline might have seen the kiss and took the picture so that you would break up with Clary and she can have you to herself-" Isabelle started but by that time, Jace had started walking away. That was enough.

It was time to pay a visit to the person who had started the ball rolling.

* * *

_From now on, stay away from me. Don't even talk to me, approach me, walk next to me or even look at me unless you really want yourself to have an early death._

Damen smiled to himself as he remembered the line Clary had shouted at him right after he kissed her. It was not exactly a pleasant line, but that was the last memory of her even talking to him. He had never intended to get Clary hurt but it seemed as if he already did. He wondered when will they ever talk again, or when he can even look at her.

There was a shuffling of footsteps and he knew who had come to pay him a visit. He was waiting for him, knowing he would be here if he knew the truth behind the kiss. That would mean that he had apologised to Clary and had listened to the whole story. Damen counted to seconds before Jace emerged from the shadows, a murderous look on his face.

"What took you so long? I was waiting for the Angel of Death to come and take my soul away," Damen said mockingly, approaching the other boy.

"I had a slight altercation," Jace replied, a thoughtful look on his face as he too followed what Damen was doing.

"How many dead?"

Jace ignored that question and continued approaching him until they were a metre away from each other. Damen stared into Jace's eyes, seeing the intense dislike in them.

"Isabelle told me everything," Jace said, his expression icy-calm. Damen grinned inwardly glad he had met that fiery girl.

"So, what are you going to do now? Beat me to death for touching your girl?" Damen asked mockingly, smirking at Jace.

"I won't. Hurting you will hurt Clary. I've hurt her too much and you're not worth it. Just stay away from her," Jace said flatly. He nodded once and was about to turn and leave but Damen did not want him to leave just yet.

"Well, tell that to yourself. After hurting her, do you think she'll forgive you that easily? She'll need someone else to cry her heart out to, to lend her a shoulder. Are you that guy?"

Damen did not even get to blink when Jace's fist met his cheek. He did not even react. He staggered a bit and smirked, his lips bleeding a little from the punch.

"Pfft. I never knew it would be that easy to provoke you, Wayland," Damen drawled.

"Just stay away from her, Levin."

"I will, but I won't if she wants me there."

* * *

Aline put the hood of her jacket up as she ran in the rain to her dormitory. She hated rainy weather but who was she to complain when she herself was out after curfew hours. As much as she hated this school for its rules, she did not hate the soap opera found here, where she, as always, was in the centre. Speaking of soap opera, a certain someone was waiting for her. At once, she could feel a smile creeping up, feeling the anticipation. He had finally realised what he had overlooked, that she was much better than that plain girl, Clarissa Fray.

Aline lowered her hood and wore what she hoped looked like a gentle smile. She approached him slowly; trying to contain the thrill she was feeling just from seeing him here, waiting for her.

"Jace," she said, greeting him. He did not look up; just staring at the ground with his hands clenched.

Frowning, she closed the distance between them and trailed her fingers down from his shoulders to his arm; her touch lingering. However, he pushed her away, none too gently, and pulled her hand, forcing her to follow him into a dimly-lit corridor. She knew by now she should feel scared or panicked, but the only thing she felt was the increase of excitement.

Jace pushed her against the wall, his body close to her. She could feel his body warmth, his deep breathing; things about him that she would commit to memory. His body leaned against hers and his face was so close to her. But when she looked into his eyes, they were not filled with what she was feeling. Instead, they were filled with intense hatred.

"What do you want from me, Aline? Why can't you just leave me and Clary alone?" he hissed as his lips went nearer to her ears, his voice menacing. Aline looked up into his face bravely, not wanting to back down.

"What do you think, Jace?" she murmured, looking boldly back at him. She stuck out her chin as his arm went to her neck, pinning her against the wall.

"I want you to be mine and nobody else's. Only I can have you since others are not worth it, including that girl of yours. Wait, she's not yours anymore, no? Ran off with Damen, probably sitting in the same couch with him, her hands all over his body-" she answered but stopped suddenly when she saw Jace raising his hand, almost hitting her.

Almost.

* * *

Damen caught his hand before he could hit Aline for talking about Clary that way. Damen had it in a death-grip and pulled him away from Aline before releasing his hand. His face bore no expression but the rage in his eyes were clear.

"Never lay a hand on a girl no matter how much you hate or loath her," he said threateningly, hovering in front of Aline in what looked as if it was a protective manner.

Jace eyes widened when he realised what he was about to do, what he had done. He was about to hit a girl, an act he himself knew he must never do and with Damen right in front of him, he knew what he looked like. A jerk. That was what he looked like right at this moment. With one final glare at him, Damen reached out to Aline, who was slumped against the wall on the ground, and pulled her up. However, she slapped his hand away, as if he was repulsive.

"Don't you dare ever defend me again, Levin. I don't need your help," she hissed. Without another backward glance, she walked away, leaving both boys alone. Again. Jace stared at his hands, shocked that he was so overcome with anger that he had not realised what he was doing. He was disgusted with himself.

"I guess this should be our last conversation, Wayland. Go back to Clary and apologise to her. It was a good thing you had listened to Izzy than regretting it later on. But, bear in mind that you might not be lucky next time," Damen said, sighing, as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. He whistled a tune and headed away, his footsteps echoing in the silent night. However, not too far away, he paused.

"Take care of Clary, alright? Don't take her for granted. I'm watching you. If you lay a hand on her like what you were about to do to Aline, I won't hesitate to strike," he said calmly, though not disguising the threat in his voice. With that, Jace was left alone, repenting on what he had done just for that day with Damen's threat ringing in his ears.

* * *

Clary tossed and turned in her bed, the sound of the raindrops keeping her awake. Though she knew that was just partly an excuse. Sighing, she sat up and sat crossed-legged on her bed, her hands in her face as she tried to control the whirlwind of emotions in her.

She was not crying, no. She had enough of crying for she knew her tears would not bring back everything she had lost. First, in a moment of fury, she had lost Damen. Then, she had lost Jace and now, the only one sticking with her is Isabelle. But Isabelle could not share her woes or her tears.

Clary had never felt this alone in the world, this small. She had never felt this broken. Simon had warned her before but he had thought it was Jace who would leave her for another girl but in the end, Jace had left her because he had thought she was with Damen. Damen who was nothing but a friend.

Clary looked over at Isabelle who was sleeping peacefully, caught up in her own dreams. She seemed so peaceful, as if nothing could harm her. Sighing again, she tried to get back to sleep but this time it was not the sound of the rain that disturbed her. It was the sound of someone knocking on their door.

With a heavy heart, Clary padded silently to the door and unlatched it, wondering who the late visitor was. However, one look at his face and she regretted even opening it. She could already feel herself breaking, could already feel the sobs threatening to erupt from her. However, when she took another look at his face, she felt as if he too had suffered just like her.

"Hey," he said, though it seemed as if he was struggling to talk.

"Hey," she replied, feeling the pain to even talk to him.

"Can we...like... talk?" he said haltingly, looking down.

Clary just stared at him, not believing her ears... or eyes. She thought they would never meet again, thought that they would never even talk to each other but here he was, in person. She just stared at him, speechless.

"Look, I know you're mad at me for being a jerk. I over-reacted. I said bad things but can you spare me some time to clear things up?" he continued.

He raised a hand to rub his face as if he was in deep regret and when he did, Clary saw the faint bruises on his knuckles as if he had injured himself. Clary stepped back and pulled the door bigger so that he could get in. Nodding his head in gratitude, he went in and sat on Clary's bed. She made her way and sat next to him, feeling both awkward and tensed.

"Who threw the first punch?" she asked, indicating to his hand.

"I did. And I regretted it, really," he replied, sighing dejectedly.

"Clary. Look, I just want to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not trusting you enough, sorry that I had not listened to you before I said all that horrid stuff. If Isabelle had not told me what really happened, I know I would have regret it in the future. Then, I lost my temper with Damen and I punched him but I did not get the satisfaction I wanted. I'm sorry Clary. Sorry for all the pain I've caused. But I'll understand if you won't forgive me. That's all I want to say," he confessed.

Jace took her hands in his, his warmth enveloping her, and all of a sudden he stood up.

"Jace, wait," Clary started, pulling his sleeve. He turned to her, a sense of fleeting hope flashed on his face.

"I guess this whole incident is partly my fault too. You're not to be blamed for everything. I'm in the wrong as well. I broke the promise I made to you, something I had never intended to do. And I..." she said but broke off when Jace had pressed his lips against hers, softly and gently. He broke off and leaned his forehead against hers, his breath warming her face.

"You're already forgiven but will you forgive me?" he whispered, his voice caressing her.

"I do-," she said softly but the first two words was enough for Jace for he had wrapped her in an embrace, as if he could not imagine a life without her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he cupped her chin and kissed her, as gentle as he could as if he did not want to hurt her anymore.

Clary wished that this moment could last forever. She felt complete with him next to her, felt safe in his arms. This was how it was meant to be; them together forever. However, like all happiness, there was always someone who would interrupt.

"God! Get a room will you!" Isabelle groaned through her covers. Clary could feel Jace grinning as he kissed her deeper.

* * *

Damen leaned casually against the wall, his arms crossed as he stared at the girl who was busy tearing up a piece of paper to shreds and muttering under her breath, not knowing that he was there all along. He cleared his throat loudly and she turned and glared at him.

"You did not follow the plan. There was nothing about you taking picture about us," Damen started.

"I change the plan my own way, Levin. And you know I don't take orders well."

"Can't you wait? Why do you want the guy so badly? You're moving too fast and I'm sure they will know. Clary's not that stupid you know."

"Defending her again, I see."

"I'm not. I just don't want another fist in my beautiful cheek again."

"Enough. You get me what I want, I'll give you want you want in return. Now get out!" She hissed, taking out a lighter and burning whatever it was she had shredded. Shrugging, Damen headed out, leaving a delusional girl alone with her own fantasy. Well, if Aline started playing according to her own rules, he should make his own as well...

* * *

Clary was practically skipping when she headed to Art Class, drunk with happiness and love. However, her mood changed when she saw his back. She saw his black hair, his body and she felt guilt. He was not looking at her, just staring outside the window as if he was deep in thought. Taking a deep breath, she approached him.

"Hey, I just want to say sorry about yesterday, about over-reacting and also on Jace's behalf for punching you in the face. But I guess I should thank you for defending me," she said softly from behind. She could see the slight change of position when he heard her but he did not turn to look at her. Sighing, she turned around and was about to walk to her desk when he called out.

"So, is it ok for me to look at you now, or talk to you or anything?"

"Yeah, it's ok," she said, grinning at his question. He turned and for the first time, she felt glad that she had mended their relationship.

"Great, because I hate being away from you," he said, giving her his trademark smile which warmed her.

"Me too, I guess." Clary settled herself next to him, pleased to have her friend back.

"Then, I hope you won't hate me for whatever I'm saying now. I do like you, Clary. I like you a lot. I'd take any amount of punches to defend and stay by your side and to tell you I'm serious. But I'm willing to put that feeling away just for the sake of our friendship," he said, a serious tone entering his voice as he stared into her eyes.

For the first time, Clary was left speechless.

* * *

Aline stared at the glass chessboard in front of her as she lounged in her seat. She smirked, feeling proud with what she had and was about to do. Everyone was her pawn in her game as she made them do what she wanted to do. She was the Queen; taking any path and destroying anything in her way. All of them were playing right into her hands; Jace, Clary, Damen and Rochelle. They were her four favourite pawns and when they fall, she knew she never will.

* * *

"Hey Clary, there's a mail for you," Isabelle called out as soon as she entered the room. Clary sat up from her bed and took the crisp white envelope which Isabelle handed out to her. The school's seal was on it and gingerly, she ripped it open. A letter dropped out and she picked it up to read it.

"So, what's it about?" Isabelle asked, curious.

"I am pleased to announce that you have been given the Arts Scholarship to study in-" Clary read aloud but was interrupted with a squeal from Isabelle.

"Ohmygod! You got in! Ohmygod, ohmygod!" Isabelle squealed, rushing to hug her. However, when she looked into Clary's face, there was something which seemed as if it was worrying her.

"What's wrong? Shouldn't you be happy?"

"I am happy. But look here. It says 'Signed: Patrick Penhallow. Head of the School Board.'"

At once, both girls looked up and the same thought ran through their mind. What was Aline planning now?

* * *

_Preview:_

_There's something wrong with you as a human_

_Well, you call two girls fighting 'catfight' but I call it 'Bitch Dance'_

_Tell me Damen, if you and Clary are together, will you put her happiness first?_

**Next Chapter: Clary's Birthday Bash**

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**Thanks for reading! Do give me your reviews!


	8. Dark Secrets

Sorry for the late update. I'm having my finals now, so updates going to be slow until I'm done with my finals.

A/N: Want to say thanks to SimplyLily94, RoseDimitiri ClaryJace, Degrassi4ev, i-like-chocolates, strify's gal, Golden-Iris158, whoopies13 for reviewing

And also to Degrassi4ev, caligril13, i'm me. who are you. and she26 for adding Glass Hearts as their fav/story. Thank you so much!

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****Cassandra Clare owns everything.**

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They told him to drink. Told him that his problems would go away with just a sip. Problems... yes, that was what they were called. Problems. Problems with Clary, problems with Damen, problems with Aline, problems with his family. He scoffed. Family; that was the last thing he had in mind. His family was dead, buried deep beneath the ground he walked on. He was alone in this world. Alone, until Clary came and ignited the flame in his heart. Yes, he had allowed her to get close to him, or was it him getting close to her? He did not know and he did not care. Yes, they were in love, but due to a certain someone, they were on a rocky road.

He fingered the rim of the glass filled with alcohol. It was tempting him, reaching out to his desire. The sound of techno music filled his ears, the random beat being felt all around him. People around him were swaying their hips swaying to no particular beat. Their bodies were so close; '_they should do themselves a favour and get a room._' He grinned drunkenly, laughing at their antics. Yes, his friends were right. A sip wouldn't hurt him, and Clary did not need to know about tonight since she was too _busy_ being mad at him. He downed the whole glass, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and headed to the dance floor where a certain brown-haired girl was beckoning him with a finger.

* * *

Clary stared at the chocolate cake in front of her, a fake smile plastered on her face. Her parents took pictures; fawned over her as if she was still a ten-year-old child. Luke had even wrapped her present in a baby pink. She gagged at it which caused laughter from Damen. Yes, Damen had crossed her path and now, he was in her home, snickering at the _pure embarrassment _she was experiencing thanks to her loving parents.

It was semester break, the only time she got to spend with them. However, stealing a glance at Damen, she knew it was not him she wanted to spend her time with. It was _him_, but he was too _busy_ being mad and jealous and unreasonable to even remember that it was her birthday. It pained her, to see that the person she loved most was not here. But it was okay, she reasoned. She could make do with her new best friend. As Clary blew out the candles on her cake, she made a wish.

"Please, let Jace be here soon and that whole argument, forgotten."

* * *

Aline craned her neck, momentarily distracted with what she had seen before her. She saw him on the dance floor, dancing with some girl he just met. That girl was no redhead, nor was she as short as the midget he was dating. This was development was unanticipated by her. Why? What had made him change into somebody totally different?

His friends were around him, chugging down alcohol as if it were plain water. One of them handed a glass to him. He took it without hesitation; swallowing the contents in one gulp and passed it back to his friend before wrapping his arms around the girl's waist even tighter, snuggling into her hair. The girl seemed to love it all right, she seemed to love the feeling of a hot guy, a hot _drunken_ guy kissing her neck. Aline crumpled up the paper in her hand before turning away from the guy who was trying to flirt with her. Soon, that girl will pay for touching him.

* * *

"So, is your birthday always this sombre of an occasion?" Damen asked her, putting a spoonful of the Rocky Road ice-cream in his mouth. Clary frowned, wondering how she should answer that.

"I lost my brother and father on the day I was born. They left home and cleared everything; it was as if they never existed. I never knew what happened and my mom doesn't really talk about it much," she concluded before shovelling another spoonful of ice- cream into her mouth.

They were sharing a tub of ice cream together, just like what she would normally do with Jace. She glanced at the door, still hoping that he would walk through it soon. Her birthday was a private event and only those in her close circle of friends were attending. Isabelle had already left with Simon since they had a date, as Simon had told her, apologetically. She didn't mind, though. They were going out together and she was happy for them. But, if Isabelle and Simon could make it, why couldn't Jace? Clary frowned down at her ice cream, her mind whirling with questions as to where her boyfriend was. Damen sat quietly, observing her from the corner of his eye.

* * *

Damen watched the girl next to him, feeling sorry for her past. He too, did not know who his family was. He was raised by his dad before he was sent to live with his uncle in Russia. He did not even know his own name. Damen Levin was a pseudonym. He started calling himself Damen and his uncle followed, so now, he was stuck with it.

He felt the same frustration Clary would have felt, not knowing who one's parents were. And he hated it, hated not knowing his past. However, after staring at Clary for a while, he realised that she was not frustrated about not knowing who her father was. Rather, she seemed frustrated with herself. He saw how she kept glancing at the door from time to time, and realized he found the reason why. She had expected _him_ to come. But he had not.

Damen could feel his anger rising and his muscles tensing for a fight. When Wayland got here, more like _if_ he got here, he would punch him to 'til he got to his senses. He may have hurt Clary unintentionally, but for all he cared, anyone who hurt Clary, would pay for it.

He frowned. What was his relationship with her now? At first he had thought he had loved her, he had even _kissed_ her but after a while, he realised he had never harboured any special feelings for her, except being protective. He would protect her from any harm, because he cared for her. Yes, he was more of an elder brother than a lover.

"Kids! Dinner's ready! And don't you dare say you don't have any more appetite, 'cause I'll ban you from having any more ice-cream!" Jocelyn shouted from the kitchen. Clary rolled her eyes and pressed the lid on the tub of ice-cream. Damen grinned at her and followed her into the kitchen, already liking the atmosphere of being in a family

* * *

"Stay. Away. From. Him. You. Little. Sl-" the rest of Aline's words were drowned out by the poor girl's screams.

Rochelle looked on, not knowing what she should do. She pitied the girl. She was just hanging out with the wrong boy. Rochelle knew she could not look away, for if she did, she would be next at the end of Aline's hands. Aline threw the girl aside. The girl knelt under the faint light, her sobs racking her whole body. Her point gotten across, Aline threw the still-burning cigarette down to the ground before stamping it out. That was the same cigarette which had used to scar the girl on the cheek. Aline turned to Rochelle and smiled.

"That was fun, wasn't it? I really love a good show," she remarked brightly, smoothing down the crumples in her red dress. She went to stand next to Rochelle and hooked her by the arm, a silent gesture which said "You say a word; you're going to be next". Rochelle shuddered and kept silent, following Aline as she went back in, appearing as if nothing had ever happened.

* * *

Clary stared at her mother's expression, wondering what had made her freaked out. She was just staring at somewhere, trying not to look at Damen, her knuckles whitening from her hold on the fork.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Clary asked under her breath. However, her mother smoothed her expression in a blink of an eye and smiled at her.

"Nothing at all, Clary. It's just that... that joke Damen was telling us really amused me." Damen looked at her questioningly, but shrugged it off.

Something was wrong tonight, Clary thought to herself as she twirled the spaghetti around her fork. She glanced at the cell phone in her pocket. There was no missed call, no text, nothing. It was as if he had forgotten her birthday.

* * *

They were so similar that it was hard not to overlook their distinct qualities. The laugh, the eyes, the face. It was her nightmare tonight, but it was also her dream.

Please let this be true, she prayed deep in her heart.

* * *

Jace frowned. The girl he was dancing with never returned. He was getting impatient. The alcohol in his bloodstream was raging. He wanted more. He staggered his way to his friends but then felt someone putting a glass in his hand. He looked at the glass. Yes, it was filled to the brim. He chugged it down, quenching his thirst; his addiction for something fun. He turned around, wanting to see who it was who read his mind. He couldn't see the person though. She was wrapping her arms around his neck, getting closer to him until he could smell the whiff of her designer perfume. It was intoxicating and he leaned in, wanting more of it. Her lips were near his ear now, whispering soft words and promises. He pulled her closer, needing something to fill the empty void in him.

"Dance with me, just for tonight. I want you, just the way you want me. Let go, let go of your problems. For me. Just tonight," she whispered huskily before kissing him gently on his cheek. Taking his hand in hers, she placed them on his cheek, before he let go to place both hands on her hips, feeling them in secret.

* * *

Aline smiled to herself as Jace held her, liking the feel of it. Yes, score one point for her. Now she knew what made him succumb to his desires.

* * *

Damen washed the dishes while Clary dried them, even when she insisted against it. He barked out a laugh when he had dripped soap on Clary's hair. Soon she was hitting him back with the damp towel, their laughter filling the kitchen.

"Alright! You win, as usual," he said, slumping against the counter, his whole shirt wet from Clary's onslaught. She laughed again before snatching the dish in his hand and wiping it.

However, their happiness was interrupted when Jocelyn walked in looking stressed, her eyebrows knotted in a frown.

"Damen, I'd like to have a word with you, privately. I hope you don't mind," she said, her voice sounding strained.

Damen wiped his hands on his pants before turning to her, a questioning look on his face. Jocelyn walked away, expecting him to follow her. He turned back once to look at Clary who shrugged, before he followed her, determined to know what was wrong.

They went inside the library and Jocelyn locked the door, a sign that said that this was a really private conversation.

"Take a seat, Damen," she said, gesturing at an empty armchair. He sat while she took her place opposite him.

"Whatever we say here will not leave this place. I can't bear to let Clary know this until the time is right."

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me Damen, if you and Clary are together, will you put her happiness first?"

Damen stared at Jocelyn, wondering where this conversation was going. Little did he realise that the same conversation was going to change his life. Forever.

* * *

Jace staggered drunkenly around, feeling his way along the walls of the street. He could feel the hangover starting to set in, a dull throbbing pain in the back of his head. He heard the door open and giggling as people left the club for other illicit activities. He was so groggy he could not even see properly. Tipsy, the world was spinning. Bright lights. They were so bright, he felt he was going blind. He heard a voice; someone was calling out to him. '_No, don't'_, he told himself, trying to control the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"You're leaving me, aren't you?" he heard the voice say. The same voice which he had succumbed to. He wanted her to go away, to leave him alone. He was supposed to be somewhere, but he couldn't remember where. It was a special day today, but he did not know what the occasion was.

"You promised me you wouldn't leave me. You promised!" There it was again, the whining voice.

He could hear her approaching him, could smell that perfume of hers. He felt her place a hand on his arm, a supposedly comforting gesture, but not to him. He pushed it away, revolted.

"Go away, Aline. Being here was a mistake. Hanging out with you was a mistake. Just leave me alone and forget that this whole thing happened between the both of us," he slurred, his forehead pressing against the cool brick wall in front of him, trying to ease the throbbing in his head.

"Forget? You want me to forget the greatest night of my life? Why, why do you want that girl so much? Aren't I better? I can give you anything, anything you want if you would just let me," she persuaded, her tone turning softer as she came closer to him, pressing her body against him.

"Clary is my girlfriend. I can't betray her, not now," he whispered, loud enough for her to hear.

"But I love you, Jace. I love you a lot. I love you more than she loves you. Why, why don't you want me? I'll be your anything," Aline continued.

She placed a hand on his cheek, forcing him to look her way. He did and saw those big black eyes which were pleading with him to give her a chance. Her strong perfume was muddling his mind, clouding his decisions. He leaned towards her, sniffing harder. He wanted more, more of it. They were so close now. Suddenly she seemed so tantalizing, so intoxicatingly beautiful.

Her lips met his and he responded immediately, pressing harder, wanting to feel more of her soft lips against his. He reached out to pull her in, deepening the kiss, making it more passionate, leaving the both of them hungry for more. He felt her slip her tongue into his mouth, tasting him... No, _this_ was wrong. At once, Jace broke off from the kiss and pushed Aline away, none to gently.

"No, we shouldn't be doing this," he said, more to himself.

Without one final glance at her, Jace stumbled away. He took a deep breath and the cool night air cleared his mind. He remembered what he had forgotten, what day it was. Today was Clary's birthday and he had spent it with someone else.

* * *

"I'll walk you out," she told Damen.

He only nodded and took his jacket from the couch. Clary stared at him. Was it just her or did he had look deathly pale after having that talk with her mom? Their way out was filled with silence and the only spoke again when he reached his car.

"Tell...tell your mom I said thanks. I really enjoyed myself," he said, smiling weakly at her before he entered the car, without turning back to look. Clary frowned. What had happened that changed him this much?

* * *

Clary sat on the porch swing, her hand phone in her hand. There were still no missed calls, no messages from him. Her assumption was right. Either he had forgotten about her birthday or he still hadn't gotten over his anger from their argument.

_Jace leaned against a wall, his arms folded across his chest. Clary stared at him, her posture the same only she was not leaning against anything. On the dressing table was the scholarship letter._

"_So, are you going?" he asked in a flat tone._

"_I don't know, I can't decide but I really want to," she replied, mimicking his tone._

"_Go then. Yeah, I know you love leaving me. Who knows, you might find somebody to replace me in Russia since you have something with Russian guys, no? Just like how you were with Damen..."_

"_Dammit, not everything is about you, Jace! The world doesn't revolve around you. Have you ever thought that this scholarship would be good exposure for me? Did you even think about me and what I want? That's hard to believe since your mind is always so full of yourself that I wonder how you even hold that thick head up!"_

"_...whatever. I don't care. Do what you want."_

_Jace stalked out of her room, totally forgetting the real reason why he had came to meet her in the first place._

Perhaps that was the reason why her birthday did not turn out as to what she had expected. Where was he now? She was worried, frustrated and depressed. Why, _why _had she lost her temper? Why was it so hard with Jace nowadays? It was as if they were on the verge of breaking and she didn't want that to happen. All she wanted was for her and Jace to be together, happily. Her eyes scanned through the dark one last time. Something caught her eye and she sprinted to him at once, feeling both glad and angry at the same time.

* * *

He felt her coming up to him. No! This was not what he wanted. She should not see him in this state! He wanted to walk away, but he wanted to be with her, to apologise to her. He had hurt her for being so... so unreasonable. He had hurt her for not being there during her birthday. He was furious, furious with himself.

She was so near now, and he hated it; hated the fact that he was too drunk to even apologise to her. He turned his face away from her, not letting her near him. He heard her gasp softly, before touching him on his arm, a comforting touch. The heat of her hand warmed his whole being, and he felt himself calming down, turning sober.

"Jace, what's wrong?" she asked softly, concern evident in her voice. He had to admit it. He surrendered completely to her, his love. However, she did not know and what she didn't know couldn't hurt her could it?

Let Clary be ignorant of what had happened between him and Aline, because no, he didn't want to hurt her anymore than he already had.

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Thank you for reading. Please review at the end!


	9. Readers Help Needed!

Hey all! I know I did say I'll update after exams but sadly I can't. Right now, I'm still in the midst of writing Chapter 9 of Glass Hearts. The reason why I'm still writing and not yet updating is because I'm facing a huge writer's block. Like as in mega-huge. I don't know what I should write because I'm torn between two storylines.

So, this is where you guys come in. I really really need your help. Ok, the two storylines are:

a) I will continue from the previous chapter which means I'm going to write about what happened at Clary's house when she just met Jace who was 'late' for her birthday...

b) I will fast-forward and will write the starting of a major conflict which is the climax of the story...

So, please please help me decide by choosing one of the storylines. I'll appreciate all your help! You can either leave your chosen storyline as a review or PM me. I'm going by majority so please choose!

Thank you so much! I'm counting on all of you!

~Skye


	10. Satisfying Curiosity

Hey! Finally, after weeks of writer's block, I finally updated! This chapter took a lot of time and I nearly felt like dropping this whole story. So, I want to say thanks to the people who continued to support me and Glass Hearts up to this day.

A million thanks to: Golden-Iris158, SimplyLily94, loving ya, RedNights-await, AnniaAngele, lani, RoseDimitri ClaryJace for reviewing Chapter 8

Not forgetting: BMSGIRL543, treebuggies109, Ri-nocemoose, JMCullen1120, XxLilyFlowerxX, TaylorZachary, KaYlaNnE95, RedNights-await, LuVmEsUmFaNfIcS, , TaylorJade, magic noctum, firecrushed cat, lj3girls, aussie girlxoxo, thepowertobreakyou, jinmay-4-ever, Tilly96

And special thanks to: Taylor Jade, SimplyLily94, magic noctum, caligril13, loving ya, firecrushed cat, AnniaAngele, aussie girlxoxo, RoseDimitri ClaryJace, thepowertobreakyou for helping me choose what to write. You guys really help me out!

I know some of you wanted choice B but after much pondering and reading your suggestions, I realised it doesn't hurt to make this story longer for juicer storylines!

*I'm really sorry if I missed anyone out! I didn't mean too!*

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**Now, after a long A/N, A final thanks to Krys Berm for being my awesome Beta Reader as well as to Eri and Amber for reading my first draft.**

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_Three years ago... _

"You filthy little whore!"

The sound of Jace's father's drunken shouts rang through the corridors of the house. Jace, cowering behind the door of his bedroom, was absolutely terrified.

He could hear his mother's relentless pleading, begging her husband to stop. Jace pulled his knees up against his chest, trying to make himself smaller as if he could disappear.

He wished everything would just go away; that his father would stop beating him and his mother up. That they could somehow find a way to get away from him, but he knew that his wishes would never come true. They were just fleeting hopes, dreams, little pieces of a fairytale that would never see the light of day.

Jace closed his eyes, trying to drown out the sound of his parents' voices. He reminded himself that if nothing else, today was better than yesterday. This beating, this tantrum, this screaming, it was milder than what his father normally did when he couldn't get his fix.

He heard his mother screaming as the beating started. The sound of flesh upon flesh made him cringe, the screams of his mother sliced through him, pain shooting through his chest. But he knew he would not – could not go out to save his mother. He'd just end up nursing his own wounds.

Smashing his hands against his ears, Jace tried to block out his mother's petrified screams. But the house suddenly fell silent. The silence stretched on, and with it, brought a new wave of pure fear.

He knew the door he huddled against was locked, that his father couldn't possibly come in. Yesterday's scars were still raw and painful, yet another beating endured, etched into his memory forever.

Gripping his arms, he once again prayed that his father would leave him and his mother alone.

The sound of his mother sobbing penetrated the silence in the house. He removed his hands from his ears and pressed his ear against the door, listening for footsteps or any other signs of approach.

He wondered tensely if his father might have left. But what if he hadn't? What if he was just thinking of a new way to torment him? Had he realized Jace was hiding in his room? Jace's hands were turning sweaty from dread and fear. He tried to calm himself down, but his pulse still raced in his ears.

From behind the door came a low grunt. His father had found what he was looking for. Jace breathed out a sigh of relief. The door slammed loudly, and he knew the devil was gone. Standing up shakily, Jace unlocked his door and headed to the living room to find his mother.

She was curled up in a corner. Fresh red welts gleamed from the skin of her arms and legs and she was whimpering softly, facing the wall. She heard his sharp intake of breath and turned around – revealing bruised and bloodshot eyes and swollen cheeks and lips. Struggling to smile, she assured him weakly that she was fine.

Deep, uncontrollable fury flared up in him. This latest abuse was simply stoking the angry fire inside him. Dropping to his knees, he wrapped his mother up in his arms. He hated his father, hated what he was doing to their lives, wishing he would die or just disappear.

His mother read the anger in his eyes and shook her head slightly.

"Don't," she cautioned softly. "It's my fault in the first place."

"I don't understand."

She smiled gently back at him and brushed her lips against his forehead. "You'll understand when you grow up, Jace." She started to sit up, determined to change the topic of conversation, ignoring the pain. "Now, why don't you tell me about school then?"

Jace eyed her carefully, making sure she wasn't too seriously hurt. "I managed to get a place. They're now asking if I want to stay in a dorm." His voice was bitter and hard.

Immediately, his mother's expression brightened. "Say yes. I'll send you there now. I want you to stay away from this house, away from your father. That's the best –" She raised a hand as she saw his face turn argumentative.

"Listen to me, Jace. You will stay there and you will focus on your studies without worrying about me. I want you to live your life to the fullest; away from the devil and this hell-hole. I'll be fine, Jace. I've taken a temporary lodging with a friend and away from him," she said, struggling to keep her voice firm. She pulled him closer and hugged him again.

He could feel her tears wetting his cheek and pulled his mother closer, not wanting to let go. She smelled just as she always did – cinnamon mixed with vanilla. With a final kiss upon his cheek, she broke the embrace and stood up shakily, herding Jace to go pack his belongings.

_That was the last time he saw his mother..._

* * *

"Jace. Jace, are you awake?"

Jace woke up to the sound of a soft, high-pitched voice, right beside him and filled with worry. He frowned slightly. That was weird; he was pretty sure his roommate was a boy. He felt small hands shaking his shoulders and cracked his eyes open. Kneeling beside him was Clary.

He tried to sit up, when he felt a sharp pain in his head. Groaning and cursing, he slumped back down. Worry was evident in Clary's wide eyes as she gently helped him sit up. She was biting her lip, as if holding back a stream of questions.

Once he was sitting, he looked around himself. He was sitting on a couch in a living room. Rays of morning light streamed through the thin curtains and when he looked down, he saw that he was wearing last night's shirt. His eyes widened; there was no way he would sleep with a dirty shirt on.

The pain in his head had faded away. Brushing his hair away from his forehead, he grimaced and coughed; his throat was parched and tasted like sandpaper. Jace turned to Clary, who was now sitting beside him, her fingers laced behind her back.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice raspy and throaty.

"I found you outside last night, heavily drunk. Before I could ask you what was wrong, you passed out on the sidewalk, hitting your head in the process. Luke – he carried you in and set you on the couch. And then today, when I came down, you were struggling in your sleep and I panicked and woke you up," she replied hesitantly, her eyes still filled with worry.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to absorb all that she was telling him. He himself had no idea what had happened last night. He remembered he'd forgotten something – something important – and had found himself heading towards Clary's house. That was as far as he could remember.

But he did remember what had happened before that. He could clearly remember his kiss with Aline. Guilt bubbled up inside him. Clary noticed the change in his expression and touched his arm lightly, trying to comfort him.

"I'm glad you came here, and that you're safe," she said softly, placing a hand on his cheek.

More guilt. "Clary, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't come to your birthday party, or even bring you out. Hell, I didn't even buy you a gift. I screwed up, Clary, big-time. I was drunk, I spent your birthday at a club with the guys and drank liquor like it was water. And then I –" Clary silenced him with a finger to his lips.

"It's okay, Jace. I forgive you. Besides, it's just one birthday." She shrugged lightly and smiled.

"But about before – about our argument – I was just being stupid and self-centered and I'm so –"

Clary shook her head. "It's forgotten. Now, are you planning on taking a bath before breakfast? Because really, Jace, you stink like hell," she giggled. Jace arched an eyebrow and grinned, leaning closer to Clary. He was about to kiss her when he heard someone entering the room.

"Well, it seems Sleeping Beauty managed to kiss her Prince Charming awake," drawled a dry voice from behind them.

Jace glared at Damen, who was casually leaning against the doorway, his arms folded against his chest, a smirk playing on his lips. Clary noticed the icy glare and rolled her eyes. She stood up from the couch reluctantly and walked over to Damen, a warning in her eyes.

"Luke left some clothes for you, they're over there. And Mom's cooking breakfast. You're staying, aren't you?" She glanced back at him over her shoulder, a little worried he might say no with Damen here. However, Jace only shrugged and grinned at her.

"Yeah, I'll stay. It's free food," he teased, standing up gracefully as always and taking the clothes with him. With one final glance at Clary and Damen, he headed off towards the bathroom. Clary released a breath, glad he'd decided to stay.

"Told you he'd stay," Damen muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

Clary rolled her eyes and slapped his shoulder playfully. Damen simply laughed and ran his fingers through his hear, heading to the dining room for breakfast.

She watched him go, wondering what had made him come over in the first place. She didn't believe his excuse at all. It was like he wanted – needed – to tell her something, but couldn't. Sighing, she shook her head and followed him.

* * *

Clary was sitting on the bench under the oak tree in her backyard, a small slip of paper in her hand. It was crumpled from being crushed into a small ball. The scent of designer perfume still lingered on the paper.

Only one person wore this perfume, and that person was seriously starting to grate on Clary's nerves. Clary sighed and closed her eyes, smoothing out the creases of the paper. The words, neatly written, were the same words she had seen earlier, when she'd been doing the laundry.

_Call me. A. _

She had found the slip of paper when emptying Jace's pockets before throwing his pants in the wash. Jace had had this, kept it in his pocket. Why?

Taking a deep breath, she tried to relax and think things through. She knew she shouldn't jump to a conclusion, even though she knew what kind of person Aline was. She needed to know what had happened last night first, what had happened with Jace and Aline.

Clary stood up and headed toward the gate, the paper clutched in her hand. As much as she hated to do it, she knew it was time to pay Aline a visit and set things right.

"Where's Clary?" Jace asked from where he sat, lounging on the couch.

His question was answered with shrugs from both of Clary's parents, as if it was normal for Clary to rush off without telling anyone where she was going. Maybe it was. He wouldn't know. Sighing, he leaned deeper back into the couch, his eyes unfocusedly wandering to the television.

His mind kept replaying the kiss he had had with Aline, as if he was cursed to never forget it. He couldn't drive away the memory of how he had responded to the kiss. It had been as if she had a hold on him. Immediately, he brushed away the thought. Aline never had a hold on him. He was just drunk. That was all. It was a mistake, one he would never repeat.

"Wayland, I need to talk to you," Damen said from where he had been standing at the doorway. His voice was low, hard and furious. Jace looked up in surprise, standing up to approach him. As he walked closer, he noticed Damen's steel grip on his phone.

"Look at this," Damen bit out between gritted teeth. The anger in his voice was barely contained. Jace looked down at the phone, eyebrows arched. It was a text message from Clary.

_I'm at Aline's house. Don't come and try to get me back. There are things I gotta straighten out with her. _

* * *

_I must be stupid. _

Those four words ran through Clary's mind as she sat in the Penhallow's guest parlour – or in other words, their living room – a cup of tea clutched in her hand. With her flyaway hair and messy clothes, she stuck out like a sore thu in the neat, sophisticated room. Everything around her was spotlessly clean.

Aline was taking forever. Clary clenched her hands into fists as she waited, trying to control her annoyance. She constantly reminded herself of the reason she had come, instead of letting her emotions control her.

_Jace. _That was what – who she was doing this for; Jace and their future together. "_You're lying to yourself, even now." _ A tiny voice whispered in her mind.

What was the real reason? What had made her walked into a lioness den blindly? She knew the answer to that unasked question. She wanted to know, wanted to know what happened last night. She wanted to know what happened between the bitch and Jace.

Sighing, she lifted the cup of tea to her lips. She had just taken a sip when Aline swept into the room.

_This is it. No turning back now..._

_

* * *

_**Thanks for reading! Please review, it'll make me really happy! XD**


	11. Setting Things Straight

Author's *tired* A/N: Hey all, Skye here. She is feeling half-awake since she's been sleeping at midnight for almost 2 weeks. She wanted to update yesterday but she had a major friggin headache and needed an early sleep. Now, she is feeling better and a little insane as she is starting to address herself in third person.

She wants to take this time to apologise for the late post since she was caught up with the tons of homework and it's 5 days to her new school year. And she's still not done...

Finally, she wants to thank these following people:

_ellenfp_, SimplyLily94, _Breeishappy_, lad152004, _loving ya_, thepowertobreakyou for reviewing- _she loves people who reviews her chapters _

_Ms Fantasy Freak_, MaximumRideTwilightLover, _mbt2003_, KSD1, _Breeishappy_, Dark-angel042996, _smileysgoboing, Alexolotl_, ellenfp for adding Glass Hearts as their fav story/story alert-_she loves you guys too but you should review as well ^^_

**and Krys for being her wonderful Beta reader!**

Now, as she tries to get a grip on sanity, she hopes all of you will like this chapter as this is the beginning to the climax.

This is a late Christmas and early New Year's gift ^^

* * *

**The following chapters will be written in Clary's POV unless otherwise stated.**

**Skyecelade does not own the Mortal Instruments.**

* * *

_Trust is like a thin thread. Once it breaks, it's hard to mend it back._

I never realised that the very saying would come back and haunt me that whole day and the days to come.

~_xxxxx~_

It all started as I sat in the middle of the huge room. White leather sofas, black satin curtains and marble floorings greeted my sight as they surround me, enclosing me in.

I never knew how much I'd hate being in some rich place, until now. It made me feel small and weak, as if I was in need of some financial loan or anything that rhymed with money. I did not even dare eat the chocolate treacle tart which was laid in front of me, from fear that I would destroy something so small and cute.

Maybe, just maybe, that was the very effect 'they' intended on me. The illusive 'they' that lived in the Penhallow mansion. I could feel the taunting look from Aline as she sat in front of me, taking pleasure from my obvious discomfort. She sat opposite me in a white leather armchair, her legs crossed as she sipped daintily from her cup of tea. She did not bother hiding the sly smile, as if she was contemplating on what she should do to me.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Here I was, rambling on and on when I knew there were serious matters that I had to bring out. The main reason as to why I had foolishly decided to walk into the lioness den, the very lioness that wants nothing more than to rip me to shreds and devour me. It was a good thing I texted Damen. If I did not return by the end of today, he would come here and collect my corpse and prepare for my funeral. _Stop rambling, Fray,_ I chided myself.

Taking a deep breath, I steeled my nerves and blocked out all my unwanted and irrational thoughts. From the corner of my eye, I saw Aline placed her cup down, a sign for me to state my 'issues'.

"Look, Aline, I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you or anything but I gotta straighten some things out with you," I started, mentally kicking myself for apologising to Queen B.

She gave me a smile in return, projecting all innocence as if she had no idea what I was talking about. I gripped the hem of my shirt, unsure as to how I should continue. In my mind, I wanted to shout at her to leave my boyfriend alone but I knew it was not... satisfactory. I wanted to lay it down to her, slowly. I wanted to tell her to back down from Jace and I wanted to know what happened between them earlier last night. But I did not want to give her the satisfactory of _me_ acting as the bitch.

"_It's 'Mean Girls' all over again_," I sighed inwardly as I stared straight into my cup of tea.

"Clary, I understand your problem," Aline suddenly said, obviously finding my silence a bit tad disconcerting.

"I know how hard it is to voice out your family problems. I mean, I know they swore you into secrecy and all that but sometimes, you just have to voice it out. And you have this overwhelming urge to help them out and reduce their burden," she said, pausing for a while before continuing.

"I know the problems your family is facing. Your step-father is facing a hard time with his book business and your mother is having problems selling her paintings. I really want to help you so just tell me how much you need," she continued, smiling encouragingly at me as she took out a chequebook from under the table and a pen poised in mid-air as she waited for my answer.

"Wait... what are you talking about?" I asked bewildered from whatever she was implying.

"Your family? Aren't they having financial problems? I mean, isn't that what you're here for, to ask my family for money?" she asked, confusion laced her tone as she arched an eyebrow in question.

"What! No! I'm here about what happened last night at the party. It's...it's about what happened between you and Jace!" I shouted, my voice rising up to an octave higher as I stared at her, appalled from her very suggestion.

* * *

Perhaps, he did feel a little guilty for not showing Jace the other half of the message. Damen sighed heavily as he rode his motorcycle down the road towards the Penhallow mansion. He could still see it in his mind as to what Clary had told him not to do.

_Don't show this message to Jace. Please, don't. I'm going there because I need to know what happened that night and if he sees it, he'll drag me out of the house and I won't get the whole story from Aline since he likes to sugar coat things up._

Well, he had shown the message to Jace all right. But that was before he had read the bottom half of it, telling him _not to_. He screwed up badly. Jace had acted exactly what Clary had predicted, out of protectiveness and...fear. As if he feared that Clary would learn something from Aline that he did not want her to know.

Damen frowned as he took a turn on the next street, wondering how he should prevent Jace from interrupting Clary. Jace was already on his way using Luke's car and it was up to him, Damen, to make sure Clary would get all the information she want

* * *

I saw how Aline pursed her lips as she contemplated as to how she was supposed to answer my question. She seemed to have the answers on her lips but was thinking as to how she should deliver them with a massive intended impact of making me hurt. I had dealt with people like Aline before and I knew how they loved to see their opponent break down from some news. The tears shed by others were their happiness; the pain they caused was their pleasure.

"What would you like to know?" she asked finally, drawling out the question in a way that I hated.

I took out the note from my jeans pocket and slid it across the transparent glass table. She barely glanced down, as if she knew what the note was.

"How did it get into his pocket?" I asked, controlling the anger that was threatening to seethe out of me in one huge wave.

"I gave it to him when he was oh-so-drunk," she answered simply, a sly smile creeping up on her face.

"You tainted his drink?"

"No, no! Dear girl, how can you not know that little titbit of information about your boyfriend and liquor?" she replied, laughing softly as she stared at my incredulous expression.

Aline leaned forward and placed a manicured hand on the table. She gave me a smirk as she slid the note back to me.

"He can't control his liquor. It made him high and uncontrollable. Hell, he started dancing with some girl from somewhere and they were really close...too close for comfort," she said softly as her voice dropped down a notch.

I stiffened from the news and from the close distance between us. I could smell the perfume that she wore coming off her skin, the same designer perfume which had brought me here to confront her about the note.

"Well, I guess I did you a favour since I helped you deal with the poor girl who had started to get too close to your boyfriend," she continued, moving back as she laughed at whatever memory she had in her mind.

Her laughter was icy, as if there were no real warmth in it. I clenched my hands into fists as I tried to control my emotions. Feelings clouds judgements and I would not let my feelings get in the way.

"So, what did that have to do with the note?" I asked flatly as I griped the handle of the tea in my hand.

She leaned back cosily in her armchair, loving the obvious anger in me. She wanted to test, to see how long it will take for me to break.

"Well, I slipped the note when we were so busy wrapping up in each other's arms. He is such an amazing kisser," she whispered softly, as if she was sharing a secret with me. My grip on the cup tightened as I tried to ignore what she was doing to me with her words.

"If I might recall... his lips was so smooth and delicious. His tongue was quite insistent too. And his hands... oh-so hot," she continued, giggling.

That broke my control. That was the final straw. I stood up and threw the warm tea into her face and hair, taking pleasure when she screamed from the heat.

"That was from me. And just to get it into you, Jace is mine. You will not come near him, or touch him, or even look at him again. And if you do, you'll get what you wish for. I will not be so forgiving in the future... bitch," I snarled.

"And just for your information, my family won't require any help from the likes of you, even if we are in problems," I said flatly.

Turning on my heels, I walked out of the room, feeling the heat of Aline's hatred gaze on my back. Ignoring it, I showed myself out.

Somehow, throwing the cup of tea on her felt...satisfactory.

* * *

Aline stared at the little bitch who was walking away from her. Soon... soon, that little girl would get it for messing around with her, Aline Penhallow. Clarissa Fray will pay for what she did today and the next time, Aline swore that girl will hurt the most.

* * *

Tumultuous emotions surged through me as I walked out into the sun-lit path, out of the mansion. Aline's words kept on replaying in my mind as I stared out into the sky-staring at nothing.

"_...He is such an amazing kisser... Wrapped in each other's arms..."_

I tried to block out her words but it was to no avail. Why, what had happened to Jace that he would be kissing her?

"_...He could not control his liquor..."_

Was that the reason? Was it just because he was too drunk until he did not know who he was with? But that did little to explain why he acted as such. It was not only Aline who was with him. There was this other girl who I would never know. Even if I were to ask Jace, I had this distinctive feeling that he would not know who.

It was...as if Jace had turned back into the old Jace. He turned into the womanizer, the playboy he was before he finally confessed to me that New Year's night. I ran my fingers through my hair. I had never felt this confused, this betrayed. Perhaps, when I was with him, I was deluded into thinking that he would not revert back to his old self. How wrong I was.

"Clary!" a voice called out to me, breaking me from my reverie. I turned my head, praying hard that it was not _him_. It was no use. It was Jace as he drove up in front of me in Luke's car.

He turned off the ignition and opened the door before standing in front of me.

"What do you think you're doing? You were this close to getting yourself hurt! Don't you not know what kind of person Aline or the Penhallows are?" he growled, his eyes filled with barely-controlled rage.

I bit back the inside of my mouth as I stopped the scoff which was threatening to escape from my mouth. Arguing with Jace in front of Aline's house was not a good thing. I lowered my head, acting as if I truly regretted it.

"I'm sorry," I said simply, hoping deep in my heart that he would stop yelling. Who was he to scold me!

He seemed to get the hint for he dropped all pretence of anger and wrapped me in his arms.

"Look, I'm just worried sick about you. Don't go off on your own again," he murmured against my hair. I tried not to push him away as I hugged him back lifelessly.

At that time, all I was thinking off was how the hell he knew I was here.

As if on cue, Damen arrived on his black Ducati motorcycle, looking both shock and guilty at the same time.

* * *

Jace looked up when he heard the Damen approaching us. Slowly, he released me from his grip and stared at the other guy, wondering why he was here. I, on the other hand, glared at him. The only way Jace knew I was here was because he had found out from Damen. It was a good thing I had poured the tea on Aline and walked away, if not...

If I had stayed there longer, I would not have known about Jace's 'fling'.

Damen shrugged at me and took off his helmet.

"I didn't see the bottom half of it," he answered simply, fidgeting.

"C'mon, I'm taking you home. You look as if you are in need of a bath coz' you sure stink like a female dog," he continued, giving that cute grin of his.

Rolling my eyes, I was about to walked to him and take my helmet when Jace took hold of my arm.

"Maybe I should be the one to send you home. We can stop by at the diner and grab some food. You haven't eaten, have you?" he asked, turning me to face him. He stared beseechingly at me, as if he really wanted me to be with him. Unfortunately, at that moment, I knew I had to get my emotions under control before I start to scream at him for kissing Aline.

"I'm sorry," I said gently, removing his hand gently from my arm. "But I think I'm going with Damen. Mom and Dad will be worried and all that and I'm sure I stink," I continued.

Sighing, as if he had lost a match, he bent down and gave a light kiss on my lips. I tried not to back away and blocked away the repulsive feeling I had from the kiss.

"Call me call later," he said simply before getting inside Luke's care and driving off-probably to return it back.

I turned wordlessly at Damen who was staring at the very spot where Jace had driven off.

"That was an early meeting. What did you do to end it off so early?" he asked, looking down at me.

I shrugged.

"I poured hot tea on Aline."

* * *

The call to Jace was never made. Instead, I had called Isabelle, who knew something was not right, and she came over. She stayed till late at night, hearing my problems and confusions.

However, Isabelle was not the only one who had came into my room and listened to me. Damen slipped in when I was in the midst of telling her about my visit to Aline and he slipped out when I was done. He was silent throughout the conversation which was the total opposite of Isabelle's insistent chatters and curses.

I never knew what went through his mind. It was as if... he was planning something silently and deliberately. He left all of a sudden, as if he had decided what he should do, leaving Isabelle and me behind. Isabelle did not stay long after that. Once she saw I was sane, she knew it was time for her to leave.

One thing both of us agreed on was that I should give Jace another chance. He was in the same position as I was when Damen kissed me. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, telling myself it would never happen again.

It took all my willpower not to bang my head against the wall and screaming strings of curses at him. Betrayal hurt me deep, slowly breaking my heart. The other half of my mind was screaming at me, cursing me for being too nice but I did not listen to it. As much as I wanted to beat the crap out of Jace for betraying me, I could not bring myself to. I loved and trusted him. I only hoped for the best.

Sinking into my bed, I turned off the lamp next to it and slowly, blocked out the negative thoughts I currently had, promising to call Jace the next day when I was saner and forgiving.

* * *

_A few weeks later_

Rochelle heard a knock on the door of her rented apartment, wondering who it was. She knew from the patient knocks that it was not Aline. However, she was not taking any chances. Right now, she was not in the mood to see the girl's face. Aline was to blame for causing her to live in her current state. She was the one who had caused Rochelle's father for disowning her. And at the moment, all she wanted was to wrap her hands around her roommate's neck and strangle the life out of her.

She took a peek out of her peep-hole on the door and elation filled her in when she saw Damen. Without any hesitation, she unlocked the door and let Damen in.

"Hey, heard what happened," he greeted her gently as he passed by her and entered her humble abode.

She shrugged in reply, feigning blasé but Damen knew better. He took her hand as they sat next to each other on her only sofa in her crammed living room.

"It's partly my fault for trusting that scheming bitch," she answered simply.

Ire laced her tone as she recounted the memory of Aline telling her straight in the face of what she had Brandon done to her, as if she could not care less. She had done everything to make sure she had Jace and to act as revenge against Clary for insulting her.

"She's planning something big isn't she? Just so she can get what she wants and for her to get back at Clary," Damen stated, sighing.

"Yeah. She used me like a toy. I don't think she's done with you though," Rochelle remarked back with bitterness.

Damen gave her a weak smile.

"I'm done with her alright. She just hasn't known about it."

"You're not helping her?"

"Why should I? This isn't about me anymore. She lost the very hold she had on me."

"You can't bear to hurt Clary anymore, can you? Are you going to tell her?"

"That I am working with Aline, yes. But I'm not going to tell her about the _other thing_... not yet," Damen said grimly.

Rochelle squeezed his hand as a comforting gesture, even though she should be the one who needed the comfort. She saw how tensed he was and she realised that he knew what was about to happen between Clary, Jace and Aline. Praying hard even though she was not close to the girl, she hoped that Clary was strong enough to overcome the tidal wave of events that was about to come her way.

* * *

**Author's final A/N: As the next few chapters are the climax parts, Skye has decided something. If you review, she'll give you a spoiler of the upcoming chapters. So, please please review!**


	12. One Night Stand

Hey peeps!

It's the third week of school now and I have to admit, I'm not use to the new class... Anyways, done with my personal life, I'm finally done with this chapter and because of you, readers, I updated faster! *claps hands*

So, as usual, I want to thank the following people:

thepowertobreakyou, _ellenfp_, LeaderOfNerdHerd, _magic noctum_, WayToPretty,_ Shadowhunterer Warlock_, JiLLiAN2548, _SimplyLily94_ and loving ya for reviewing.

As promised, I had sent those who reviewed the spoilers but if I left you out, it was not on purpose as I was really busy and/or you did not reply as to whether you want the spoiler sent to your email or PM on fanfic. I'm really sorry but I'll try to send it to you still coz' I promised to do so...

and not forgetting:

Krys516, _TwilightGoCrazy2o1o_, eliana4579, _WayToPretty_, meathxxx, _Shadowhunterer Warlock_, sapphire9941, _Lord Samufur_, SilentShadowsWhisper, _Mishi-boo_, lotrlover21 for adding Glass Hearts as their fav story/story alert

All of you meant a lot to me, so please please leave me reviews as I seriously need them to improve on my writings and thus, re-writing Night Dew again.

Oh, I almost forgot. I want to wish Happy Birthday to everyone who celebrates their birthday in January!

~Skye~

* * *

_Promises are words, but the depth of those very words run deeper than many would have imagined~_

Was I giving him too many chances? Was I too trusting? Was my naivety getting into my judgements? Perhaps it was and I placed my faith in the wrong person...

~_x~_

"Promise me you won't drink," I whispered into his ear as we were locked in an embrace. I felt the strong intake of breath-as if he wanted to suppress something. Jace stiffened but my fears were dismissed when I felt his lips on my hair.

"I promise," he whispered back. Satisfied with his answer, I pulled out of our embrace and teasingly pushed him out of my room. Laughing, he gave me one final kiss on my lips before I shut the door. That was when I dropped my pretence.

I leaned my head back against the warm wooden door, shivering not from the cold but from my thoughts. It was hard, putting up this entire act, acting as if nothing was wrong. It felt weird, knowing I knew something he never wanted me to know. This feeling... was indescribable.

The pain was there, hiding feverishly after I found out about the 'incident'. And yet, that very same feeling remained until today. As much as I willed it to go away, it did not change anything. The very feeling of hurt, betrayal and loss coursed through me and embedded to my soul. Nothing I did can shake them away. And Jace did nothing to soothe them.

Every moment I spent with him was a lie. Every kiss, every touch between us fed the betrayal in me as the very image of him sharing the very same things with Aline. He might not have returned the kiss that night but that did little to explain why he held the news back from me.

I hated it, hated feeling so confused and hurt, as if I had walked myself into a personal limbo. What had become of me? Why, why can't I just scream at Jace for betraying me? Why can't I just walk out on him? Why must I give him a second chance when he nearly did not extend the same thing before?

I was in denial and nothing helped me to decide my future. I could just take the scholarship and walk out of this life. I could for once, put myself first instead of others. Screw them, this is my life! So why can't I just say all those without feeling regrets?

Sighing, I banged my head against the door repeatedly, frustration building in me. So many decisions yet it remained difficult. I wringed my fingers together as I tried to push away the unwanted dread. Who knew being in a relationship with the hottest guy in school would hurt this much?

I scoffed silently. Yeah, I was that naive to think I would have the expected 'Happily Ever After' every girl dreams off when they were young and in love. Life was rarely filled with bright prospects.

"_Perhaps I should sue Disney for making every girl believe that they have a Prince Charming..."_ I thought sarcastically.

"But it won't hurt to keep hoping, won't it?" A tiny voice asked back, filling me with the warm feeling of love which I cherished. I felt the corners of my lips twitched as I fought back a smile. Love. Even though I was almost 18, I still believed in second chances. And Jace deserved that chance.

I heard the school clock as it struck 7 o'clock and I stood up before I smoothed out the creases on my tank top. I grabbed a jacket from my bed and headed out of the room towards the school's garden. There was another reason as to why I did not follow Jace other than revising to maintain my grades for the scholarship. Inside my jeans pocket was a note from Damen, requesting a meeting as he wanted to tell me something important. Something that might change the course between the four of us, him, Jace, Aline and I, forever.

* * *

He would be pretty stupid if he thought that Clary did not suspect anything. Jace sighed inwardly as he entered the twins' room. At once, he was greeted with the loud techno music which practically shook everything around those mega-huge speakers. He squeezed through some of his schoolmates bopping up and down, out of synch from the beat.

Trust the twins, Aaron and Adrian, to throw a dorm party without raising any eyebrows from the teachers. Their parents were on the school board and they practically managed to get away with everything that they did. Jace grinned when he passed by Isabelle and Simon. It was as if the whole 3rd year were invited. However, their happiness was not shared with him.

He felt lonely and lost without Clary by his side. It felt weird as they were rarely apart when they were invited to anything. However, ever since _that_ night, things were starting to turn differently.

They were still together, but he could sense a change in her. Clary started to turn quiet and secretive. It was as if she was keeping a secret from him. However, it was the other way around. It was him keeping something from her. And he had no idea how to tell her about it.

What should he say? He couldn't just go up to her and say _"Oh Clary, just to tell you, on the day where you found me drunk at the corner of your street, I was shacking up with Aline earlier on. But don't blame me, 'coz I was drunk and had no idea what was happening"._

Jace ran his fingers through his untamed curly blonde hair. He was screwed. He messed up. He knew he should never have drunk. He was just like his father-a useless drunkard. Now, Clary knew how he could not control his liquor. She wouldn't have made him promise if she didn't know anything.

* * *

Aline stared at the boy before her, a sly grin already forming on her lips. From his expression, she knew he was fighting some internal debate with himself over his puny girlfriend. But, all of that was about to change. Taking the glass of gin in her hand, she sauntered up to him from behind. Her plan was clicking in place. All he need was a little push.

* * *

"You worked with Aline?" I repeated, my eyebrows knotting as I stared at him cynically. He looked at my direction, trying to gauge my reaction. I stared at him flatly before pushing myself up from the concrete bench and was about to walk off when he stopped me by placing a hand on my elbow.

"It's not what you think it is. Look, you've gotta trust me on this," Damen countered, his voice filled with exasperation as if he wanted me to understand. _I understand alright,_ I thought venomously.

I pulled my arm from his firm hold while glaring at him, allowing all my anger to be seen.

"Trust you! I've trusted you ever since we became friends. I thought I knew you, but in the end, you're just a pawn for Aline. Did you enjoy reporting to her? Did you have a laugh with her at my expense, Damen? Give me one good reason why I should listen to you," I answered scathingly, unleashing every ounce of frustration against him.

Damen stared back at me wordlessly, as if he was pondering as to how he should reply. His mouth parted open but no words came out. I knew then that he had no answer to my question. He turned away from me and I was about to walk away when I heard him speak.

"Because I..."

* * *

He pushed her away roughly, breaking their kiss. She leaned against the wall of the secluded West Wing, her breathing heavy.

"We shouldn't have done that," Jace muttered frustratingly as he ran his fingers through his hair, giving it a slight tug.

"Why not? You might as well admit that you like it as much as I do," she retorted. Jace turned away from her. How did he get outside the twins' room in the first place? How did he end up out here with Aline?

His earlier memories were fuzzy. He remembered how Aline had come up to him and gave him a drink. He remembered turning that drink down rudely...

He licked his lower lips and tasted the lingering scent of something sickly familiar. Gin. He remembered not drinking any! Wait... he didn't drink any... did he?

Memories and past conversation surged through his mind at once. He felt sick and dizzy. The effect from drinking had taken over him. He could not remember anything except that he had somehow ended up outside with Aline in a middle of a making-out session.

"You looked so wound up, so I gave you something, remember? Told you it would make you relax a little and you nearly slapped the glass out of my hand. But Aaron came up and dared you to drink it," she explained flatly as she gathered up her fallen black mink coat.

Yes, that was it... wasn't it? He was filled with doubts and questions-questions that gave him fear when he thought of the possible answers.

"Why am I out here with you?" he asked through his gritted teeth.

"Coz' we were dancing so hot and heavily that our bodies were practically grinding with each other. Aaron and the others told us to take it somewhere else. You flipped him off and later took hold of me and led me outside before coming to your senses," she said, scoffing.

He crouched down, placing his hands over his ears as he tried to block out everything she had just said. No! It couldn't be! He had promised Clary that he wouldn't drink! No, no, no!

He felt Aline coming up close to him and kneeling behind him. She began massaging his back slowly, kneading his muscles silently. He tried to push her away but somehow, he was compelled to her touch. It felt so... nice. Light fingertips trailed down his spine and up again to his shoulders, down again until his right arm. She took hold of his hand pulled him to face her.

All he could see was those brown eyes, lovely brown eyes which held promises of something more. His eyes trailed lower. Those high cheekbones, the fair skin, the nose and soft full lips... lips he could kiss every single day when he turned aroused.

He was drawn to her... but why? He hated her but those lips... He placed both hands on her cheeks and brought her face close. It felt as if his body was moving on its own and he had no will to it. He felt the darkness claiming him slowly and he could not fight it... The last thing he remembered was Aline claiming his lips.

* * *

Oh god, it felt so good to feel those lips again. She sighed inwardly as their lips mashed against each other. He felt so... hot and perfect. Her tongue slipped into his mouth and his into hers. Yes, this felt right. He belonged to her, right here. She bit his lower lip as she held back the moan at the back of her throat.

Her hands trailed down from his neck to his warm chest, feeling the muscles beneath the tight fitting shirt. She lingered a little; touching him in circular motions. She felt him groaning at the back of his throat, turning her all hot and bothered.

His hands left her face and she whimpered softly from the lost of his touch. However, he placed them around her waist and pulled her up along with him. He pushed her against the wall, pinning her with his leg between hers. He took hold of her arms and held it above her head, locking them with his hand.

He bent low to the crook of her neck, the tip of his nose gently gazing against her skin. She quivered under his touch but held on. This was what she wanted, to be with him, like this.

He brought his hands up to her shoulders and brushed off her mink coat to the ground. He traced her flustered skin slowly...down to her waist and hips before bringing it back up to her right side, doing the same exact movement. She moaned softly, her knees bucking. He caught her and kissed her lips, her eyes, and the hollow part of her neck.

She brought up her right leg, her knees sliding his hips. He closed his eyes as he continued touching her, his hands lingering on the zip of her dress. She pressed him close, feeling the hotness between them. Bringing her lips to his ears, she kissed them softly brushing her lips against them. Jace shivered slightly but held on.

"Tell me you want me," she murmured softly in his ears. He did not answer, instead he pulled down the zipper a little lower. Aline gasped slightly and wrapped her arms behind his neck.

"My room. Now."

He still did not reply but he carried her in his arms, heading toward the room. And that was a good enough answer to her.

* * *

The sunlight entered the room through the window. The curtains were drawn back. Jace groaned slightly, turning on his back and covering his eyes from the glow.

"Hey Alex, pull that curtain back, will ya?" he muttered. There was no reply. Not even the shuffling of feet.

_Don't tell me he left,_ he thought. Grunting under his breath, he cracked his eyes open and was greeted to the pink comforter on his body.

Pink. Comforter.

His eyes flew opened when he realised that he was not in his room. Where was he? How did he get here? And most importantly... why was he only wearing his briefs?

Oh Shit. Oh Shit. Oh Shit. What had happened after he blacked out? Questions were formed in his head, questions he had vague answers to. He pushed of the comforter of him. He sat on the edge of the bed, his vision clearing out.

He saw his jeans near to the edge of the bed. His shirt was a few steps away and his shoes were near the door. There was a red silk dress with his shirt and black strapped heels...

Red dress. Where had he seen such a dress?

"Oh hey. You're up early," a voice greeted him from the bed. He turned around and widened his eyes in horror when he realised what might happened. Clothes strewn on the floor, him almost naked and waking up on the bed next to him was Aline... fully exposed.

She sat up, bringing the comforter to cover the front part of the body and scooted nearer to him. He was still paralysed. He could not speak, could not move, could not think. Only two words were running in mind at that moment...

_Holy Shit._

_

* * *

_Thanks for reading! And if you feel like cursing Jace and Aline, please do so. But please don't curse me for writing since the whole part is needed for the upcoming chapters. :D

And like the previous chapter, I promise to send you spoilers of the upcoming chapter if you review! And don't just add as the story alert/fav story, review it as well!

~Skye


	13. Curious and Curioser

OHMAIGAWD! 96 reviews! *Squeals like a 5-year-old girl* THANK YOU SO MUCH! LOVE YOU GUYS! FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALL OF MY STORIES, I'VE 96 REVIEWS! NOW I HAVE TO STOP TYPING IN CAPS...HEHE

Thank you so much! I really really love you guys for making Glass Hearts a success. I nearly dropped the story so it is thanks to you guys for giving me the strength to move on... :D

I wanted to release this chappie earlier but I was too caught up with *ahem* other stuffs, mainly: listening to J-Rock, watching anime, reading books, reading manga, writing Night Dew Chapter 2 and 3... so yeah...

**Going to say major thanks to everyone who reviewed: Breeishappy, TwilightGoCrazy2o1o, thepowertobreakyou, lj3girls, ellenfp, smileysgoboing, lovingya, hawaiiangrl, lowshie, Bitch Hater, Em, LeaderOfNerdHerd, magic noctum, Golden-Iris158, caligril13, JiLLiAN2548, SimplyLily94, isabelle-berliner, clacelover, , Beautiful-With-Pain, whoopies13, Cupcake Angel**

I'm glad you guys didn't flame me from the cliffy I gave you earlier on... And please don't flame me from this new cliffy as well... hehe. It's a good thing you didn't send any demons our curses at me for that too.

And not forgetting everyone who added Glass Hearts as fav story/story alert. I want to write your names here but I'm in a rush... using this computer secretly, so yeah... _Gomenasai minna-san_ (sorry everyone)

* * *

Presenting Chapter 13

_Curious and curiouser_

~_xxxxx~_

There was always a time in his life where he realised his predicament and the whole room went silent. Nothing could be heard except for his breathing and his fast-paced heartbeat as he tried to weasel his way out. He could think of excuses on his feet and he was proud of it.

However, at the moment, the only thing running in his mind was buzzing drones when everything sank into him, and boy did it sink into him hard.

_What would you get if you cross a very huge bed, clothes on the floor and two naked people? _

He tried reasoning with himself. Maybe, _it_ did not happen. Maybe they were too hung-over and unfortunately crashed on the same bed. However, that did little to explain the naked part.

"Jace?"

Aline's confused voice burst the little precious bubble he had built around himself. Slowly, he turned his head as he sat at the edge of the bed-away from her. She was creeping up to him and when she placed a small hand on his arm, he jerked it away, as if just that slight touch repulsed him.

_Maybe it did._

"Don't touch me," he growled while pinching the bridge of his nose. For the first time in his life, she kept quiet and just stared wordlessly at his obvious discomfort. Finally, he found the silence disconcerting and scowled at her.

"Look, whatever happened last night... It never did, alright? Both of us were too drunk and we crash in your room since it's the nearest."

He forced those words out and cringed inwardly when he knew they were not true.

"If I knew better, _Wayland_, that was the exact same thing you said to me when we first kissed. And look what happened. You can't get enough, can you?" She sneered in reply, emphasising on his name.

As if to add to her point, the image of their first 'encounter' stirred up in his mind. Muttering curses under his breath, he stood and picked his clothes that were littered on the floor and put them on.

"Just forget it, Aline. I might be hung-over but I sure as hell know that I don't enjoy our little romping in the bed," he muttered while struggling to put on his jeans while standing on one leg.

"See, that's the thing. You did enjoy it and you can't help but want more." She taunted him. The corners of her mouth were quirked up into an evil smirk and Jace found himself wanting to wipe it off her face.

"Shut up!" He warned through gritted teeth. His jaw was clenched tightly and his temper was raging as was the pain in his head.

"Why forget our little tryst when it'll only turn you on later and you'll come back to me since you can't get it from that midget." Aline spoke confidently, only bringing Clary in to stir Jace more.

Whirling around, he fixed Aline with a hard glare.

"Don't you _dare_ bring Clary into this conversation."

But her words had its effect. At once, his insides quaked when he realised what he had done. He had broken his promise to her, to not drink. Now, to add it all up, he had slept with Aline, a major mess up.

Without even listening to Aline's reply, he wore back his crumpled up shirt and slipped on his shoes before heading out of the room. He heard something slam against the closed door but did not care.

However, the walls came crashing down when he knew the impact it would have on him, on his life...and on Clary...

* * *

_He did not notice it, as usual, since he was having such a trouble holding his big head high..._

Damen stood at the corner before Aline's room... his eyes fixed pointedly at the retreating figure of Jace Wayland.

He had just gone out of Aline's room after spending a whole night there...

* * *

"Out, damned spot!"

"One more of that Macbeth quotes and I'm seriously stuffing this baguette into your mouth."

"Here's the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand...Oompfh!"

"In your face! I told you I'll do it!"

"Can't I even act like Lady Macbeth? I did get the role in the play."

"Yeah, and you'll commit suicide after that."

"I was distraught, Macduff."

"Seriously, I really prefer if it was Romeo and Juliet instead."

Three voices. One was distinctive Isabelle's.

I cracked my eyes open groggily and stared at the three people in front of me. Damen was holding a baguette and was waving it threateningly in front of Isabelle. Simon was just stuffing himself with croissant.

However, the three of them looked up when they realised that I was awake.

"Clary!" Isabelle squealed, her high-pitched voice grating in her ear.

I blinked once. I was in her room when I knew full well that I was supposed to be outside, talking to Damen.

"I brought you in after you fell asleep on the bench," Damen explained my unasked question.

I sat up and took in the scene in front of me while my mind replayed our previous conversation.

"Is all of it true?" I asked silently.

The grin slid of his face and he nodded in my direction. Then, he glanced at the other two.

"They knew as well," he said in a bored tone.

I raised both of my eyebrows in shock and turned to the both of them.

"He barged in last night when Simon and I were...together. So, of course I demanded an answer as to why he was manhandling you," Isabelle answered, shrugging.

"I did not manhandle her! I was carrying her. And I sure do not want to see that scene in my life again," Damen retorted.

I laughed together with them, but an aching twist in my heart was felt, as if it was trying to tell me that something bad wasn't about to happen, even though it probably was.

* * *

A few weeks later

Jace walked through the sheltered walkway in the direction of his room. He wore his hood up as he crossed the unsheltered part in the rain. It had been a few weeks since he woke up from Aline's room and try as he might to forget that memory, he could not. It taunted him in his sleep. It mocked him everywhere he went. He knew Clary suspected that something was wrong but whenever she voiced her concerns, he pushed her away; out of fear that he would lose her.

He passed by one of the ladies bathroom but stopped in his tracks when Rochelle stood before him, blocking his path.

"Come with me," she said in a flat tone.

Without even hearing his reply, she took him by the arm and pulled him towards the ladies, pushing the door as she went in. Jace felt a slight heat rushing up his cheeks as he stood in the middle of the bathroom. However, all sense of embarrassment fled from him when he saw Aline in the middle of it.

"What do you want?" He asked, none too kindly.

She did not look up. Instead, she continued staring at something in her clutches. He could not see her face but he heard a prominent sob escaped from her.

"Look, if you're not going to tell me anything, I'm not standing here to see your sobbing face," he said, injecting all the hatred he had with her into his voice.

Finally, she looked up from where she was sitting and peered at him through her tear-stained eyes. She held something up for him to see. However, the next few words that escaped from her mouth were not what he expected. Hearing them felt as if he had sunk into a dark abyss as tangled up thoughts filled his mind. His breath was caught in his throat. But once those words were out and when he stared at the thing in her hand, he knew they were true.

"Jace, I'm pregnant."

* * *

I know it's a short chapter. I'm saving the best part for last... create the suspense, no? Oh, the next update will be on the 26th of February or 2 days before that or after I post chapter 3 of Night Dew...coz' I want to post the next chapter on my birthday :D

PLEASE REVIEW!


	14. Broken Promises

**Ok, I know I said I'd update on my birthday but due to certain circumstances, I updated one day later... hehe. Sorry about that. But don't fret for your mind will explode and you'll go WTH in this chapter :D I would actually if I were reading this. **

**Warnings: Please do not flame after reading. Bear in mind that this is just a climax and it MIGHT not be true. Everything will be a Happily Ever After in the end... I think. Hope you guys will like this**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments, no matter how much I want to send my personal demon assassin (Sebastian Michaelis!) to threaten Cassandra Clare to hand her story to me**

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* * *

**

Want to express my love and gratefulness to my reviewers:

Anonymous1997, firecrushedcat, thepowertobreakyou, Beautiful-With-Pain, lj3girls, Aline Must Die LOL, JiLLiAN2548, Karina, , soccerwriter, j.k butler, becky, hawaiiangirl, Night Wolf, lowshie, loving ya, ginita 105 for your encouraging reviews.. 3

And not forgetting:

AlecLover, You-Know-U-Luv-MeXOXO, kelx5643, katienicole, ginita 105, sk8lyn123, the silver hunters, elf889, j.k butler, soccerwriter, EhCanada101, Once In Every Life time, CGHSsoccergirl for adding Glass Hearts as your fav story/story alert

**_Finally, a major thank you is in order to my amazing and lovable Beta Reader Krys Berm for sticking with me... _**

Now, as I pack my bags and prepare myself for my camp tomorrow, I'm going to say I love you, whoever you are, who is reading this story. I feel lovable today and very high... partly because I watched my darling Alex Pettyfer last night 3

* * *

Enjoy!

**Glass Hearts Chapter 14: Broken Promises**

Clary's POV

I sat in front of the desk, my hands wringing in each other as I stared straight into my lap. Was I in the wrong to have made such decisions?

_No, you need to do what's best for you,_ said a voice inside my head.

Was I thinking too much?

_Yes,_ it answered again.

As I fought my internal battle, the Headmistress of Hayes Academy, Lady Eckhart, stared at me through her horn-rimmed spectacles. Her stormy grey eyes peered into my green ones, as if she was searching for the true reason of my rushed decision. I tried to hide my emotions, swallowing the lump that formed in my throat and keeping my eyes emotionless. I stared back at her hoping she'd just accept my decision.

After a while she sighed and leaned back into her large, black leather chair. Her hands sat crossed demurely on her lap, her lips pursing as she decided what to say.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Clarissa?" she asked in her clear voice, it held a twinge of authority that I admired her for.

I bit my lip and nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I knew this is what I had to do and I had hesitated too much already.

"Very well," she sighed again almost as if she wanted me to say no, "Somehow, you are very lucky. The Academy's Headmaster had just emailed me the dates of admission for our Arts scholarship students. It was by chance that the day after tomorrow was one of those dates. Is that too soon for you?" she asked, frowning.

"Yes. It's perfect. That way, I can start a new year there," I muttered, still looking down.

I decided to sneak a peak at her and realised that Lady Eckhart had a puzzled expression on her face. I did not blame her since this whole situation would be puzzling for someone else. Again I wondered if I was too rash, if I was jumping into conclusions just because of a rumour.

"Very well. I shall respect your decisions and will tell Sir Penhallow. You're dismissed," she replied gravely.

At once, I stood up, bobbed my head before leaving the room. Once I was out of the room, I released the emotions I had held on while I talked to Lady Eckhart. Tears that prickled my eyes spilled over down my cheeks as I cried my heart out. I pressed my hands against the wall near my dorm room, leaning on it for support that my legs no longer seemed to have.

I suddenly felt warm hands wrapped around my small frame, hands I was too familiar and yet unfamiliar with at the same time. He held me as my sobs racked my body and felt him pulling me closer until I was facing his chest. But I did not pull away. Instead, I let my tears wet his shirt as I held on to the only person I could trust. Damen.

* * *

Flashback

_Clary's POV_

_I nearly dropped the glass of water that I was holding in my hand as Damen told the story. He had promised that he would never lie to me and thus, he found debating with himself as to whether he should tell me this. But I had forced it out of him and now, __I had to deal with__ the consequences. _

"_Are you sure that's what you saw?" I asked, cynical. _

"_Please say no, please say no,"_ _I silently chanted in my head._

"_Yeah. But it's up to you whether you want to believe it or not," he muttered as he sat next to me on the bed. _

"_But... he promised," I whispered, my eyelids turning teary and my vision blurring. __My heart clenched tightly in my chest as if it would explode. Pain flooded my body as what he told me set in._

"_Maybe... I shouldn't have told you. I only do damage wherever I go," he said, standing up ready to leave. __Panic set into me suddenly, I didn't want to be alone, I didn't want him to leave me._

_My hand shot out and __I held onto the cuffs of his uniform and pulled him down next to me. He took one look at me before placing an arm around me and pulling me close. I leaned against his warm body, his scent stirring familiar images in my mind. How weird that one event had changed our whole relationship?_

_Holding back my tears, I closed my eyes and listened to the rhythmic beating of his heart. Maybe... it was time I make the right decisions..._

_

* * *

_

Present

"Are you alright now?" Damen asked as he walked me back to my classroom. He held my art folio; he had picked them up after seeing as I dumped them on the floor while I was crying my heart out.

Smiling weakly at him, I nodded. My mind, my soul and my heart was missing, shredded and just... gone. I could not think, could not speak. Everything was in a whirlwind. There was no clear future, just a dark abyss. Try and try as I might to be who I am and to protect what was rightfully mine, someone would always come and mess it up.

"I really shouldn't have told you about it," Damen started weakly but I shook my head, a sign that I did not want to pursue the matter.

_Maybe it didn't happen. Maybe you over-reacted,_ my mind argued. Tendrils of doubt and fear started weaving in my mind. Was Damen telling the truth? Or was he lying just because he never liked Jace? What if Damen was right, that Jace did sleep with Aline?

That last question brought up a vivid mental image, the same image I had tried to erase. But it was to no avail for it clung to me. Jace's betrayal hurt me deep.

_But... just maybe... it didn't happen_

I wanted to scream, to shout, and to tear my hair out as doubts replaced everything in me. Were my promises meant to be broken? Was there no hope for the both of us?

_Hear it from him, and then you'll decide from there..._

Yes, that was what I would do. I'll find something, anything, to work out the strain between us. Little did I know that I was actually clutching the thin spidery threads of hope that was already breaking.

"Clary, have you told..."

I glanced at Damen who suddenly went silent. His gaze was locked on something behind me. However, he broke his gaze and pulled my hand, heading to the opposite direction.

"What's wrong? What did you see?" I asked, perplexed.

"Nothing. I just realised that we are in a rush," he said through gritted teeth, determined that I should not see whatever it was.

But my curiosity got the better of me. I pulled my hand away from his grip and stalked back to where we stood. Turning on the heels of my sneakers, my gaze fell on the open door to an old girls' washroom. Aline was there, kneeling before a blonde haired boy; the hair so familiar, his whole self already etched in my mind.

His betrayal burnt me from the inside that I felt my words choke in my throat. However, my determination to know what was going on got the better of me and I edged closer... Wanting to hear everything.

* * *

Jace's POV

_I'm pregnant..._

_Pregnant..._

_With your child..._

Those were the words that kept on repeating in his head. He did not want to believe them but the proof was in front of him. The pregnancy test was positive.

"I'm 6 weeks pregnant. Godammit Jace! Don't just stand there looking like a fish out of water!" Aline said, an octave higher as she griped the front if his shirt.

"How?" he managed weakly, his knees nearly buckling from the weight of the news.

"I don't know! It just did, alright. We were careless and were too drunk to think about the safety aspects," she replied, the wild child in her rising as she wiped away her tears and stood up.

He stared at her stomach, looking for any tell-tale signs of a bump. There was one. Any hope that she was lying was gone in an instant.

"I'm going to abort it. My father will disown me if I keep this thing," she muttered, her hands on the sink as she held herself up and stared at the mirror through bloodshot eyes.

_Abortion..._

_Are you going to be just like you father Jace? Are you not going to care about the life she is carrying?_

"No, I forbid you from doing so. That's a life you're carrying." _My child's life,_ he silently added in his mind.

"So, what are you going to do? I know your kind, Wayland. You won't even care," she muttered, closing her eyes as she tried to hold back her tears.

"I'll take the blame. I'll meet your father if I must," he said grimly, looking away.

"Father is old-fashioned. He'd want us wed so that the baby will have a proper family and all that. Are you ready for that kind of life, Jace?" she said softly, her eyes still closed but her hand moved lower to the bump.

_Marriage. That was the last thing he'd do..._

_"But, for the baby... For me... I'm not like my father, never was," _he told himself.

"Very well. I'll marry you for the baby," he said finally, pinching the bridge of his nose.

He was doing this because it was his mistake. Not for anything else.

_Clary_

He thought of her, her name forming on his lips. He loved her; he wanted to be with her. He will tell her anything, he will give her his heart. But at the moment, he wanted to hide his shame, his mistake. Clary did not have to know.

He felt warm hands wrapping around his waist and he tried not to cringe from Aline's touch. She was his future-wife by some cruel twist of fate.

"Is all of that true?"

A voice so eerily familiar pierced the state he was in. He looked up and saw her. Her red hair was untied, her green eyes wide with shock, hurt, pain... things that he never wanted to see in her, and he was the cause of them. The worst was the betrayal they held, the betrayal of what he did to her. He could see the water building in the eyes that once held so much love for him. His eyes swept her face, he could tell she had been crying before this, her eyes rimmed red and the tear tracks down her face were evidence of that. And then their eyes met, but it was not him who looked away first. It was her.

With little flourish, she straightened her back and walked away, without a backward glance.

"Clary wait!" he started, reaching out to her only to grab hold of the air and vibe she left behind.

He pulled away from Aline, with every intention of chasing her.

"Let her go," Aline said, a whiny edge to her voice.

He ignored her and headed outside, searching for her.

He wanted to smooth the tangled ends in their relationship.

She would understand that he did not love Aline.

She would give him another chance. He loved her with everything in him.

_However, he did not know that those threads that bind them were already cut by his own personal scissors._

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_**I'll be updating a few days or weeks after I return from the wilderness with my new tan. Urgh! Thanks for reading! Please review and don't flame! If you do, I'm not going to update and leave you guys hanging! **

**3 Skye**


	15. Breaking those Glass Hearts

**Ok, I'm kinda in a rush at the moment but I really want to thank everyone who read, reviewed and added Glass Hearts as their fav story/story alert. I'm so sorry I couldn't list your names down but really, I thank you for everything that you had done XD**

**~X~X~**

**And I want to say a major thank you to Krys Berm for being my Beta reader**

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_Who would have thought that just that one word would change everything? Who would have thought that just because of a single cruel twist of fate, I would feel as if the whole world was breaking into tiny bits of pieces and shattering beneath my feet?_

_I never had such a thought. I never did._

_Now, I realised that nothing in my life was perfect as what I had thought._

Clary's POV

_I'm pregnant..._

_Very well, I'll marry you for the sake of the baby..._

Words, those useless words kept on battering in my head. His voice. _Her_ insistent puppy dog whimpers. His agreement. His mistake.

His _betrayal_.

What will it take to turn back the time? Because right now I'd do, I would do it without a second thought. What will it take for me not to have listened to _that_ conversation? Because I would have gladly lived on my life filled with ignorance. Maybe I could have been happy, ignorance is bliss after all, right? But I know time only goes forward and bliss will never be achieved, not after hearing that conversation. Those words hurt me deep. They created pain in places I never knew I had. My heart - or what was left of it - was being sucked dry and left crumbling into dust.

That same heart was left void-the special place he had in it was disappearing, leaving nothing but a gaping hole and taking along with it all my emotions. It was as if I had no right to feel, no right to have my own 'Happily Ever After'. Emotions ran dry, muddled thoughts filled my empty head as they tried to block out the insistent voices which kept on replaying that exact same words that killed me, like a broken recorder.

Why was it that I never knew all of those things? First the kiss he shared with her, then when he slept with her. I only knew them from others and then, the final blow came. Fate was a cruel thing as it only had me listening to the worst blow come from the one that was supposed to protect my heart. Was it its way to make me be decisive, to learn that what I had in front of me was a lie?

Why, why couldn't everything be just the way it was when we were perfectly content with each other?

"Clary."

His voice. The same voice which evoked my personal dreams which now had turned into nightmares. There was a time that I would long to hear that voice speak my name, now I only wanted it to disappear. When it sounded so velvety smooth I would melt instantly, but now it sounded like nails on a chalk board only making me want to cringe away.

_Leave me alone, please. I don't want you here. I want to be alone. Go back to her, _I replied silently, still not turning around to face him. I couldn't face him.

"Clary, please. Give me this chance to sort it all out. Look at me, Clarissa," he continued, much more insistent this time. His voice would break in spots as if he was in pain.

_I can't. Whenever I look at you now, I feel as if I want to throw my arms around you and cry; to beat you up shitless for hurting me over and over again. Whenever I look at you now, I don't know whether I should trust you. I don't know if I should love you or hate you._

"Clary."

He had walked closer. I felt his outstretched hand as he touched my shoulder; the simplest touch which brought a new wave of pain all over again.

"Leave me alone Jace, please," I said softly as I allowed all the pain that filled me into my voice. My back was still facing him; I couldn't face him, I don't know if I ever can again.

"I won't until you hear me out. Whatever happened between Aline and me was a mistake, that's all," he replied, almost begging me to understand.

Again that word. Mistake. Why was it a mistake? Everyone was given the right to decide, everyone but me.

Whatever he just said created a new round of emotions. The hurt, the sadness I had felt was now replaced with a burning rage. A rage I could barely contain. A rage that I wanted to let it all out on him.

"Mistake! Was it a mistake then that you broke our promise! Was it a mistake then that you decided to sleep with her! Were they all mistakes! Or accidents! Try the word desire," I spat out, pushing away his hand on my shoulder as I spun around sharply to face him.

For the first time ever since I left the washroom from listening to their conversation, I looked at him straight in the eye. I saw myself in his eyes. I saw the hurt, the betrayal in my eyes. However, in his, I saw hope. Hope? Did he even think that I would forgive him?

"I did not mean to break our promise, Clary. She forced the drink on me. I had no choice but drink it when the twins came and told me I was a coward if I did not drink it," he argued helplessly.

"So, you'd rather let me get hurt than letting them bruise your ego?" I asked incredulously.

An eerie calm had settled in me. Emotions ran dry once again. My heart was already shattered, too shattered to be mended that I did not feel anything.

"You don't understand. You don't know the twins. C'mon Clary, you know I don't love her, let alone like her. I'm marrying her for the sake of the baby she is carrying."

He sounded agitated now as he brushed his fingers through his blonde hair, hair that I had used to love to touch and played with.

"So, why don't you let her abort? Why must you play the knight in shining armour?"

"Coz' I'm just like the asshole man who made me call him father if I did!" he yelled, aiming his anger at me.

_He thought I would give him a chance. He thought I would understand him_.

"C'mon Clary. Give me this one chance to make it up. Just one last chance. Please," he pleaded after a while, his hand moving to touch my cheek. However, I turned away and stalked off, not bothering to hear whatever excuses he had came up with. I stopped after a short distance and half turned to him.

"Your last chance was given to you after you first kissed her on the night of my birthday. The night that you forgot my birthday, forgot _me_, remember? Another chance is impossible, Jace. You're marrying her; she's carrying your child. I am no longer included in your future. Do you expect me to watch as you get married to her, and have your little family? No Jace, I gave you your chance once. Even then my mind kept on telling me not to give you that chance but my heart argued and won. I had listened to my heart and now, live to regret doing so," I whispered.

Without even listening to his spluttering and apologies, I turned and began to walk away. However, he was insistent and grabbed my hand. By natural reflexes I never knew I possessed, I pulled it away from him before he got a chance and raised it up, inches away from almost slapping him.

He stared at me, wide-eyed, as if he could not believe the anger that was seething out of me.

"You chose to party instead of celebrating my birthday. You kissed her when you knew I was waiting for you patiently at home. You broke our promise just for that primal ego of yours. You rolled around in bed with her while I waited, confused with the chain of events. You screwed her until she became pregnant. Now, you'll marry her while I still delude myself into thinking that we will be together. If not for Damen, I would not have found out about your little 'romping in the bed'," I said through gritted teeth.

Fine, he was insistent about talking to me. Might as well let him have it all.

"Damen. It's always Damen. Damen this, Damen that. What is it about him that made you place me below him?" he demanded.

"At least he did not sleep around with another girl when he has a girlfriend! At least he told me the truth! He never lied, never played with my emotions! He made me feel like myself. He stayed with me and will never let me go. And he never breaks his promises!" I shouted back at him.

"Then how different are you from me? Here you are, going on and on about another guy when you belong to me?"

Anger radiated from both of us. We stared at each other from our outburst. I held my gaze, he wavered.

"I never belonged to you, Wayland. I never did. We never were meant to be together. Now I get it. I guess you screwing around with someone I hated made me see that. It's a good thing too, coz' I now know what kind of man you are and not what my love struck heart convinced me you were when we were much more serious about each other," I said flatly.

"Then at least forgive me. That whole incident was never supposed to happen," he said, backtracking as he tried to mend whatever damages he had done.

But it was too late.

"I will never forgive you, Jace Wayland. Not now, not ever. Not in your lifetime, or mine. And if there's a life after that, I still will not forgive you. The whole incident will not have happened if you kept that dick of yours in your pants and instead of inserting it around into other people."

With that, I turned on my heels and walked away, leaving him hanging with his mouth wide open.

Once I entered my room and closed the door shut, the dam on my tears broke. Wave after wave of pain and betrayal escaped from me. My tears were like floods, never stopping.

Isabelle found me in the afternoon, my eyes had long been dried up but my whole body continued racked with sobs. She must have known what happened for she took one look at me and wrapped me in her arms like a sister. We did not say anything. We did not need to. Word had gotten around about Jace and Aline so I knew she must have heard it. She hummed a song as she held me like my mother would.

Damen and Simon came in not long after that. They held me as well. They told me that they defended me from insistent rumours about my relationship.

Shortly after that, once I locked what was left of my heart and all my emotions deep in me so they would never surface, I told them I was leaving Hayes Academy.

A day later

Jace's POV

It had been 5 days since he last saw her. The memory of how she looked at him kept him awake each night.

Clary. What had he done? How could he have ruined something so amazing? How could he have hurt her so badly?

He stopped before her dorm door, hesitating as to whether he should knock or not. She had made it clear that she did not want to see him. However, he felt drawn to her, as if he had to sort out all those tangled ends that threaded from their relationship.

Almost the whole student body knew about what happened between Aline and him. They gave him stares and he could hear their mutterings almost everywhere he went. He wished they would just shut up but somehow, he knew it was useless.

_Ah, screw it. I have to see her. I have to tell her something._

He raised his knuckles and rapped on the door three times. He received silence. Frowning, he rapped it again. He heard someone switching off the loud blasting music and a shuffling of footsteps. He heard someone coming and standing behind the other side of the door. A moment later, that door opened. However, it was not Clary that was standing before him. It was some other girl with brown hair who looked as if she was half Italian.

"Is Clarissa Fray here?" he asked.

_Please let her be here, please_.

"I'm afraid not. I think you have the wrong room. I was assigned to this ever since yesterday," she answered with a light accent.

"You're a transfer student?" he asked again. She nodded and stared at him, probably wondering who he was.

"Then if I may ask, is your roommate Isabelle Lightwood?"

Her eyes widened, probably wondering how he knew.

"Isabelle is not in though. She went out, said something about sending her best friend of to another school. If you want I could-"

She did not get to finish her sentence for he was already heading out in the direction of the school gate, already knowing who that friend was and what was happening.

_Please. Let her still be there._

"I need to see her, Izzy," he said, persisting as he stood before Isabelle. She stared at her nails, steepling them.

"I told you before, Jace. She doesn't want to see you," she replied in a bored tone. Without even looking at him, she tried to close the door of the Fairchild's house but he held on.

"This will be the last time for me. Please, c'mon Izzy. You know me better. We've been friends for like 6 years. Why are you doing this to me?" he argued.

Sighing, Isabelle looked up from her nails and crossed her arms.

"You hurt her bad, Jace. But for the sake of our friendship, let me tell you this. You're too late. She's gone now. By now, she's probably on her flight to Russia and away from you. You're wasting your time here. Go back, Jace."

With that, she closed the door in front of his awestruck face.

Isabelle's POV

Clary looked up from her hiding place below the window sill and smiled weakly at her.

"Thanks," Clary said softly.

Shrugging, Isabelle headed to her best friend and hugged her. Seeing her like this tore her inside out. Isabelle could not stand looking at Clary, the headstrong and stubborn Clary looking so weak.

Aline will pay for this. Sure, she lied to Jace saying that Clary was gone. Clary will leave later on at night. As much as she wanted her friend to stay, she knew this was Clary's decision. Jace had hurt her deep, had wounded that small and fragile heart of hers.

Now, it was up to her to solve this whole issue. First, she should talk to Rochelle who had called her earlier on. Perhaps she knew what had really happened.

A few hours later

Jace's POV

He stared at the vacant place below the oak tree, the same oak tree he and Clary loved to spend their time together under. He was too late. She was gone, away from his life as if she never existed. The blow to his heart was excruciating.

It was his fault. Who would have thought that a single broken promise would create this whole chain of events?

He heard someone coming up behind him and he turned. Rochelle was approaching him, along with Isabelle. That was a weird thing for both of them never liked each other.

"What do you want?" he asked, none too kindly to Rochelle. Rochelle glanced at Isabelle who nodded and held her tightly, as if protecting her-another thing that he had never seen in his life before.

"Isabelle persuade me to tell you this myself. I wanted her to tell it to you but she thinks, and I agree, that it will be better if you listen to the whole explanation," Rochelle started.

Taking a deep breath and with one glance at Isabelle's direction, the words that escaped from her words were never what he had expected.

"Aline is not pregnant. I am."

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Please review!


	16. And The Curtains Come Down

**Hey! I'm really glad that you guys like this story, really I am. Hmm... is it considered weird to spaz about random stuffs? Coz' I was looking at a picture of a chocolate cake and was thinking about how nice it'll taste and the texture... wait, I'm rambling...**

**So, as usual and since I'm kinda in a relax state of mind, I want to thank these few peeps:**

**katienicole, Beautiful-With-Pain, Once In Every Life time, Oceangirl511, hawaiiangrl, Bagginsthename, Anonymous1997, lj3girls, JiLLiAN2548, geelynbenefice, .Tears, Night Wolf, loving ya, whoopies13, isabelle-berliner, SimplyLily94 for reviewing! Thank you so much guys!**

**And not forgetting:**

**hawaiiangrl, LovePeetaMellark106, tylerw, geelynbenefice and BunnyHopsWhenExcited-Me for adding Glass Hearts as your fav story/story alert. **

**That's all for now. Enjoy this chapter and I hope you guys will like it. Additional info at the bottom.**

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_A special thank you to Krys Berm for being my Beta Reader_

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**_And The Curtains Come Down..._**

Jace's POV

"Aline is not pregnant. I am."

Rochelle's words still rang in his head, repeating over and over like a broken record. He barely blinked, just sat there with wide, disbelieving eyes as he continued to hear the words in his head. He didn't even notice when Rochelle had taken her seat opposite him.

_Aline is not pregnant. I am...__What did that mean!_ His thoughts screamed at him as he desperately tried to process this information. He suddenly felt as if he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole as people kept throwing more and more news at him. He felt as if he had just fell from the top of a 300- story building and was now plummeting to towards the hard concrete that awaited below.

His shock must have shown clearly on his face because Rochelle gave out a weak laugh before placing her hand gently on her stomach. Upon further scrutinizing, he did see a tell-tale sign of a baby bump. However, seeing this did little to make him understand the course of this new situation.

"I'm not lying to you, Jace, whatsoever. I understand why you don't trust me, but I guess I should tell you the whole story," she said softly as a far-away look formed on her face.

"Umm... does that mean I slept with you instead of Aline?" His brow furrowed in confusion as he tried to understand what exactly he was being told.

_Oh god_, _could I sound anymore stupid with that question, _he groaned internally. However, Rochelle just laughed it off. She might appear nonchalant but he could see the pain and fear in her eyes as she stared into his eyes.

"No, this whole thing did not involve you," she muttered, referring to the growing child in her womb.

"Although all this starts with you in a way...more like an obsession over you. You see, ever since Aline first came into Hayes Academy, she had her sights set on you. She wanted you and she always got what she wanted. However, you were different and hated her, unlike other boys. That made her furious and she swore to get you no matter what. You were a prize in a game no one wanted to play in," Rochelle started as she recounted her tale.

"She knew your relationship with Clary was not stable due to your protectiveness of her and her stubborn streak. That was why she had Damen to kiss her, knowing you'll break apart from your girlfriend's 'betrayal'." She continued with the story until Jace interrupted.

"Damen is involved in this?" Jace asked, a hint of rage seeping into his voice. His jaw tensed and he ground his teeth together trying to contain his sudden anger.

"Don't you blame Damen for this whole thing." Rochelle said immediately. "Like me, Aline had a hold on him. She promised to tell him about his real family if he helped her out. Damen had always wanted to know his true heritage and thus, believed her every word. However, one night, he figured out his past himself and thus, stopped working with Aline ever since," she said as she defended Damen.

"Her hold on Damen was his family's story while her hold on me was my father's job. My father works for hers. She had threatened not once that she'd make my father lose his job if I did not cooperate. So, I did until I found out recently that those threats were lies. It's what Aline does Jace, she manipulates people to get what she wants."

"I'm sorry. Carry on with the story," he mumbled when he met Isabelle's gaze, which was telling him to shut up.

"Well, Aline then told her father about Clary's intention of going to Russia. However, she did not expect him to really listen to her. Patrick Penhallow inquired about it to Lady Eckhart and after looking through Clary's portfolio; he saw her potential and gave her the scholarship. In other words, Aline's plan backfired for she wanted to use that scholarship as a means to break both of you up."

"However, she did not expect that you'll disapprove of the scholarship. She saw that flaw in you and stayed away for awhile to observe what will happen. Then, on that night when she saw the further strain in your relationship, she followed you to the club where she too realised that making you drunk was like turning a Dr Jekyll into a Mr. Hyde," she continued haltingly as if whatever had happened next had affected her deeply.

"That was when she asked one of the twins to sleep with me. Or in other words, to rape me." She choked back a heart wrenching sob, and Jace felt sorry for the scared, broken girl that sat before him. "She made sure that... that I would get pregnant because of it. I never knew about her plan. I-I was so scared." Tears spilled over her eye lids and down her face. She quickly swiped at her face before continuing.

"I didn't know what to do. I needed help and unfortunately I knew she could give it to me. It wasn't until I came over to her house, asking for said help and received the news from the sharpest point of her tongue, that I knew what she had in mind. After that I broke all ties I had with her." She looked anywhere but Jace, not wanting to see the disgust and pity that would probably be held in his eyes. After a brief pause she continued.

"However, recently she forced me to take a pregnancy test again even when she knew I was pregnant. Then, she forced me to call you into the ladies and you know the rest," she said; a sigh escaped from her lips as she wiped away more tears.

"I don't know if this helps at all, but you never slept with Aline. It was a ruse which worked. Amidst your drunken stupor, you knew who you are inside, who you love most inside. Aline was frustrated that night. She just stripped you off once you were asleep and pretended that the whole incident happened," she concluded, smiling a weak apologetic smile at him as well as to Isabelle. It felt good to her to let everything off her chest.

He felt for her. He never thought much of her, just seeing Aline's sidekick, but now, he realised the emotional turmoil a girl of his age had to go through just because of a single threat.

"So, in other words, she used you?" he asked, his voice felt as if it was stuck in his throat when he realised what had really happened. A thousand pounds felt like they had been lifted from his shoulders, yet a thousand pounds still remained.

With a nod, Rochelle looked away from him and stared at her lap. He saw how her skirt turned wet as tears dripped from her face and the small shudders that rocked her shoulders. With renewed respect for the girl, Jace stood up and headed in an unknown direction. However, he heard footsteps behind him and saw that Isabelle had followed him.

"You know what to do," she muttered darkly, her hands clenched into fists. He could almost feel her rage radiating off her in waves.

However, they did not have to walk far for they saw her in the student's lounge, perfectly happy as she sat on someone's lap with her arms around his neck and locked in a tight and intimate embrace.

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Clary's POV

It was only in the mid-afternoon and I already felt as if the whole world had sunk into an eternal winter. But I knew that was not it. It was me.

"I was a fool," I muttered to myself as I continued staring aimlessly out of my window.

I felt numb, like whatever I had gone through was starting to ebb away from me. It felt weird and strangely peaceful. So, why was I hesitating? Why did I feel like going back to school and forgiving the very person, who had broken my heart, mend it back, only to break it again?

Was I doing the right thing? Again, I doubted myself, as like before. Why couldn't I just make a clear decision and not look back. Why couldn't I just cut away all my ties loose and start afresh in another country? Unanswered questions filled my head and as much as I tried to give a rational answer, I knew nothing could right the wrongs that had happened.

So, why am I still looking back on yesterday?

Unknowingly, my eyes had sought the very place Jace and I had sat when we were together. The swing below the oak tree now looked so rundown when I had once thought that it was the most beautiful thing ever. But that was when there were colours in my life. Now, it was just a dull shade of grey with white specks.

_Jace_

His name got caught in my throat as I tried to whisper it, to hear his name out loud. But I couldn't. I wouldn't. He did not deserve this grief. He did not deserve anything else from me. Nothing. However, my heart was telling me differently. It was breaking into pieces, crumbling into nothing but dusts. Yet it wanted to forgive and forget. It wanted me to go back to him.

_Never_

But now, my thoughts had listened to my wretched heart. Memories of our time together, pictures that depicted the love we had... they played in my mind and not yielding a slightest bit. His arrogant smirk, his eyes that were splayed with golden specks that seemed to illuminate even more in the sunlight, his untidy yet soft blonde hair...

His caress felt near and dear, as if he was there next to me. Hugging me, playing with my hair and hands and touching me tenderly... wanting me to forgive.

_No... no... no_

His voice. The soft and sweet melodious voice which now shattered the remaining debris of my hearts until it ceased to exist. He sounded so close, yet so far. His laughter; the lightness of it. Just hearing his voice made me feel at home, as if I could wrap myself in his arms and stay there forever.

That same voice.

That same voice had said those words. That same voice had lied; had betrayed me.

That same person was not mine to hold on to, to touch and to confide to.

He was not mine.

I was not his.

I never was... Was I?

_You are the reason why I live..._

_And when I met you, everything changed..._

His voice, his past promises that he never kept

_You had stolen my heart, my soul and my breath..._

I covered my ears, trying to block out his persisting voices as my mind called up the memories that would haunt me for the rest of my life. I wanted to block it but it was to no avail. The voice just kept on getting louder and louder until I relented and the dam that had held my tears back broke.

I cried as if I never cried before, as if the tears were an everlasting supply. Nothing held them back. I wanted to wrap myself in my own personal bubble while everything in this horrid whole changes. I wanted to be free.

His betrayal, his lies hurt me deep. It was as if they were a knife that had slashed my bleeding heart open and nothing could seal it up. It will keep on bleeding... and bleeding.

I wanted to cry out, to shout at the whole world what I was feeling but my mouth held tight. My whole self wanted me to let me suffer inside.

Until my own happiness is gone.

Until my soul turned shrivelled up and no colours will ever be reflected in my eyes.

That was when my whole control broke down and I crouched on the floor and brought my knees to my chest. I wrapped my arms around my legs, my forehead touching my knees as my tears slipped and wet my jeans.

Trying to forget what had happened...

Trying to let go of the love I love the most...

By the time my mom called me that the cab was here, my tears were dried up and the numbness had settled in and this time, to stay.

That day was when I decided to lock my heart up and not let anyone touch it ever again. People only loved once, don't they?

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Isabelle's POV

"We need to talk," Jace seethed through gritted teeth.

He stared at the person who had broken up his relationship with Clary. She did not appear to hear him as she snuggled deeper with a senior from the school. However, Isabelle had enough of her. Without a word, she yanked Aline's arm off and dragged her to the most public place in the student longue where she had the attention of almost the whole student-and teachers- who were present. She did not bother to hear Aline's cries of pain as she almost threw the other girl onto the glossy marble floor.

"What do you want?" Aline snapped angrily. Isabelle did not bother to hide the smirk as she stared down at the girl kneeling on the floor who was massaging her hand.

"What's the matter? Were you too busy hanging all over someone who _isn't_ the 'father' of your '_child_'?" Isabelle sneered as she made air quotes around child and father. Her voice echoed in the room and brought all the attention to them. Aline resembled a fish as her mouth open and closed not knowing what to say.

"Why, I just want to tell everyone a story about you, my dear Aline. I'm sure you'll love it since you're in the centre of attention," Isabelle replied in a saccharine voice that was evident to everyone. Turning her back on her, Isabelle addressed the crowd which was starting to gather around them.

"Everyone, this person in front of you has a story she'd like to share. She wants everyone to know what a bitch she can be and how low she'll stoop to get what she wants, even if it means threatening someone, killing someone or in this case, asking a guy to rape a person just for her own selfish intentions," Isabelle started, loving every moment as she stared at Aline's horror-stricken face.

"What are you-" the other girl argued but Isabelle cut her off.

"This person, if you can call her that, lied in more ways than one. She pretended that she slept with a guy that she wants and then claimed she was pregnant, so that said guy would stay with her. She then threatened abortion and the guy, trying to do the right thing, agreed to her term to get married so that his 'child' would live. And then, what would happen after that you ask? Well, she'd get bored of him eventually and soon, dump him for another guy who caught her eye. And this would prevent the original guy from being with who he loves most, all after she viciously shattered the people's lives around her."

Isabelle's voice carried out over the crowed; their expressions ranging from horror to disgust to hatred. Not one person held sympathy for the small girls standing next to what seemed like an avenging angel.

"I never did any of those things!" Aline shouted shrilly, trying to get the crowed to believe her, but her lie was seen through by everyone there.

"That's enough! All of you, go back to your places! Ms Haylyn, bring Aline to my office at once!" A loud clear voice rang through the whole room. Everyone looked up and saw Lady Eckhart leaning on the railings of the second floor stairwell. Her face an expressionless mask but Isabelle could see the anger that clouded her eyes. Rochelle stood next to her, her head held high as she stared down at the girl who caused her this life. She smiled at Isabelle who grinned back. As Lady Eckhart turned on her heels, she remained. For the first time after the whole ordeal, there was satisfaction in her face.

* * *

Isabelle's POV

She walked past the old school fountain, Jace by her side. A comforting silence was passed between both of them. She felt... proud. Proud that she had solved the case, had gave Rochelle her happy ending. But as for Clary and Jace...

"Listen, I just want to thank you... for everything that you did earlier on," Jace started, breaking the silence. Isabelle looked over her shoulder and saw the way he stared at the golden lion fountain, a distant expression on his face. She felt torn apart, undecided as to whether she should choose her friend or what was right. In the end, she could not stand that look on his face and told him the truth.

"Clary hadn't left, she still hasn't. She's still at home, packing up. Her flight will leave at 8pm," she confided softly. Hope crossed his face as he stared wordlessly, taking in her words.

"You mean..."

"Yes, I lied to you earlier on because Clary told me to. She did not want to see you. But, somehow, I think you guys should make up and have your happy ending," she said, shrugging. She walked up to Jace and placed both hands on his shoulders as she met the eyes of the person who was her best friend since they were young.

"I don't know how to thank you," he started but she held up a hand.

_There was still one more thing to do_...

Closing her eyes, she landed the palm of her hand on his cheek, the stinging pain still felt as she moved her hand away.

"What was that for!" he said indignantly, rubbing the place where a red hand-print could be seen.

"That was from Clary when she could not do it. Now go! Get her back," Isabelle replied, laughing from his expression. Giving a small smile, he headed into the direction of the school gate and out of it.

However, if only he knew he was too late...

* * *

Jace's POV

"Is Clary here?" he asked breathlessly, after almost running the whole way to her home. Jocelyn stared at him, her eyes as wide as saucers as she tried to comprehend what he was doing here.

"Clary?" she asked, as if unsure as to how she would reply.

"Yeah, Clary. Please tell me she's here," he answered, praying feverishly that she was.

However, the answer he heard next was not what he wanted to hear.

"I'm so sorry, Jace. Unfortunately, you've just missed her. She had taken a cab to the airport and since it's already 6.45pm now, I'm sure she's already boarding the flight. I'm so sorry, Jace," she apologised.

He felt as if the world had crashed upon him. The only chance, the final chance he had for his redemption was gone. She was gone, disappearing from his life like she never existed.

Just like how she wanted it to be...

* * *

Clary's POV

Gripping the hot chocolate in my hand did nothing to soothe the chill I was feeling. Who would understand that I was not feeling cold, but shivering from the bleak coldness of my heart? Fortunately, the person who'd understand was next to me, staring at me through his black eyes.

"I still don't get why you're coming with me," I grumbled as I tried to make myself comfortable in my reclined chair. It was a good thing I was next to the window and the only person next to me was Damen.

"Coz' mom told me to," he answered simply. There was a moment of silence as I stared out of my window into the dark night sky, a detached expression on my face. He gripped my pale hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Hey, I'm going to stick through with you, alright? I'm here for you, for everything," he said softly, trying to comfort me.

I peered into his dark eyes and saw the truth in them. Giving whatever smile I could manage, I returned the squeeze before wrapping my arms around his neck, languishing in the warmness and familiarity of his body.

"Thank you," I whispered in his ear before I broke away since the seats were designed in such a particular way where it was hard to hug someone while sitting down.

"Hey, that's what brothers are for," he replied, smiling down on me.

* * *

I did not look back again as I left my past and memories behind me where they belonged. I wanted to burn them but then I realised they could not be burnt.

But they could be left behind.

* * *

**This might be my last chapter, depending on my free time and other things. It's currently the March Hols in Singapore and after that, I'm turning into a geek mode. I've been failing all my tests and against my will, decided to put fanfic as 'not-my-first-but-not-my-last' priority. I'm also working on other projects, mainly my Night Dew story and my drafts on my Infernal Devices fic. If you guys want me to continue, do tell me that in your reviews!**

**And lastly, please please review, no matter what!**


	17. Lies And Distorted Truths

**I'm back! Finally, I managed to squeeze in some time to write... Ok, since all of you wanted me to continue, I decided I should let you guys have a feel of this chapter that had been in my head ever since the first chapter... meaning I had planned the ending when I was just starting. Confuse much? Coz' I think I am... XP**

**Hmm...just for your information, the next few chapters are set 8 years later where Clary is 25 years old and Jace is 26 years old.**

**Ok, now I have no personal experience about romance or anything about it. So, the next few chapters are basically what I think it would be like for two people in love with each other- but one denying it- to meet after a few years.**

**Warnings and disclaimer: This chapter is pretty dialogue heavy and it might get confusing, but everything will be explained later on. I know some of you have questions about Damen being Clary's brother and that explanation will come later.**

**I do not own Mortal Instruments, like duh. But that won't stop me from fantasizing about killing Cassandra Clare and do some big mojo to make the characters alive *winks* Plus, I have never been to Russia or anything like it, so I'm really sorry coz' I won't know what its like over there... hehe. **

* * *

Special Thanks to: loving ya, Bagginsthename, Booksandbeachgirl, lj3girls, Anonymous1997, My. Bloody. Tears , hawaiiangrl, lilapattinson, Beautiful-With-Pain, Night Wolf, JiLLiAN2548, MRS WAYLANDftw, Jace1522, lowshie, SimplyLily94, tera, Annie1997, icyfirelove3, coolicetwilight, Angel-Gone-Bad, firecrushedcat, LovelyBanshee28, geelynbenefice and LoverGurl10621 for reviewing. You guys are the best!

And not forgetting: rayrayX96 , Nizza91 , LoverGurl10621 . LovelyBanshee28 , coolicetwilight , icyfirelove3 , JaceLover XoXo , Annie1997 , lollipoplover84 , lilapattinson , Jaceismine for adding Glass Hearts as their fav story/story alert. I won't forget you as well!

_And finally, a very special thank you to my Beta Reader, Krys Berm for helping me Beta this chapter. _

* * *

Chapter 17: Lies And Distorted Truths

8 years later

_Dear Isabelle,_

_I know it's been a while since I last wrote to you. Hell, it had been exactly 5 years since I last heard from you, __or you from me__. I've been so busy here in Moscow such as setting up my own Art Gallery and all that. I graduated from the Academy 2 years ago but it wasn't easy to earn my place__ here__. It was a good thing Damen and Rayne were there to encourage me__ and support me__ on __everything__. _

_I think that should be enough about me. So, how's your new married life! I heard about your marriage to Simon from Damen, and I'm really sorry and regret not being able to make it back for your wedding. Hah! I remembered how you used to say you'll only marry when Hell freezes over. Guess that doesn't apply to you any longer._

_But Izzy, I'm not sure if I should go back, like when you asked me to 5 years ago. Rayne already told me of her intentions to see my family and hers as well. She saw the picture I kept in my diary. Yes, the picture of me and him. She started asking questions and I know I can't hide anything from her. Now, she has this idea in her mind that we were meant to return. _

_I don't know Izzy. As much as I want to listen and agree with her, I'm scared. I don't know if I can face my past again. Sure, it had been 8 years and I've moved on... But I just know that deep in my heart, I can't see him. The pain will return... 8 years is not long for someone to forget a person they had loved most._

_Moscow __ha__s__ been__ kind to me in a sense; I did not meet anyone,__ which I am more than fine with.__ Like I had promised, I never let anyone touch my heart again. I know I'm sounding melodramatic here, but Izzy, sometimes you just can't forget the past._

_I know you say that we were meant to be together... but I just can't. __I can't put my heart out again when there is nothing left to put out. It was broken when I left and I had Damen and Rayne to help put it back together; I won't risk it breaking again, because next time it won't be able to be fixed. _

_Being here, in Russia, it made me feel free and peaceful. But, will you believe me if I were to say that I feel lost. I do not want to be here yet for some unknown reasons, I want to stay as well..._

_I'm not sure if anything I had said made any sense to you, but Rayne just came in with Damen. Now she's begging me to take her to my Art Studio for her portrait._

_I'll write back to you as soon as I can._

_Lots of love,_

_Clary_

_P.S. Rayne gives you her love too._

* * *

Jace's POV

_You will get her back, won't you?_

Isabelle's words rang deep in his ears as he tightened his grip on the letter in his hand. This letter was the only proof that she was still alive, and in this world. But deeper down, this was the much-needed proof that proved both of them were suffering.

Their hearts had been torn apart, by force and by broken promises. She had left him to pursue her dreams. She had left for another country to get away from her past. To get away from him. To _forget_ about him. But would it be fair to say that he had spent every single waking moment in his life thinking about her? Each of her smiles; the one she had when she laughed, the one she had for when she was trying to be polite, the one she had just for him... Her voice, the sound that made his heart skip a beat, invaded his thoughts every time he looked at things that had represented her. He couldn't even get her out of his dreams at night.

He wondered, not once, how she was now. Did she change? Did she find someone who she wanted to be for the rest of her life? The letter had mentioned two people: Damen and Rayne. From the sound of it, it looked as if Rayne was Damen's, or so he hoped. He wanted her. Only God knows how long he had waited for her to return back to his life.

Perhaps it was his ego that had held him back from chasing after her 8 years ago. He had thought that she would come back to him. He was wrong. She never did. She did not even write to him. That was when he had thought that she was dead. But as much as he tried to deny it, it was because she hated him. She did not want anything to do with him.

He tried to move on. But he knew that it was no use. No matter how many girls he tried to date, no matter what he did to not think about her, she was always in his mind. Her laugh was like a song whose melody resonated in rhythm with his heart. But he still did not try to get her back... until now.

He had to re-read the letter just to be sure as to what he was reading. It was masked but he could see her pain and her suffering just like his. He knew she wanted to come back but she was afraid of the unseeing. She was afraid of herself.

Isabelle had shown him that letter and then, entrusted him with a job. And a promise. He was to bring Clary back.

He had to bring their Clarissa back to where she belonged.

* * *

Clary's POV

I fidgeted nervously, my notebook balanced precariously on my lap. The pencil which I had used to draw the scene in front of me remained on the book. It felt weird being here. Not just here in the airport, but here in Moscow. Sure, it had been one of the best educations I could receive... but now...

It had been eight years since I left home, since I left my family and my friends. I had written to Isabelle for two years but then I stopped out of cowardice. I was filled with fear that I was showing my weakness, that I was telling her I wanted to go back. That was when I made up my mind not to write anymore until I was sure of what I was feeling.

It took me eight years to be sure of myself yet, I knew I was lying. I was still doubtful and running away from my past. As I picked up the pen two weeks ago, I could feel the hesitant feeling I always felt whenever I tried to write. But this time, instead of listening to it, I resisted. I wrote and told her of my life here. That was when I knew it was the beginning.

The arrival of Rayne into my life was like something else entirely. She reminded me of the reason as to why I left yet I could not help but love her. She was my life now, and she was the reason why I started to confront my past.

Picking up the pencil in my slightly trembling hand, I started to sketch. I sketched out everything I saw in front of me. The expressions of those who were meeting their loved ones, the acts of love and sadness and the confidence in their eyes as they left... everything was clear and precise.

I saw, as I sketched a woman who had just arrived with her luggage, the past and the future of her life. Her vivid blue eyes scanned her surroundings as she made her way through the throngs of the crowd, her eyes searching for someone. Her posture was straight and confident and the way she carried herself was like someone who knew what she was doing.

I smiled as I finished drawing the arch of her brows when I saw the dark-haired man approaching her and giving her a peck on her cheek before taking her luggage and leading her away. It felt... right. Sighing, I tried to find another person to sketch when I saw him.

~X~

It was his blonde hair that caught my eye as he headed out from a corner of the airport. It looked like before, except it was less untidy and shorter. But it was still the same. He ran his fingers through his hair, the exact same gesture whenever he tried to feign casual.

His eyes were the same golden iris; the same eyes which had caught my breath time and time again. The arrogant tilt of his chin, the smooth skin... The same but adult Jace.

It was as if my nightmare was brought to life. _You swore that you would never forgive him..._ My mind countered, trying to bring me back to my current situation. I was here because of him. He was the reason why I wanted to escape from my past.

Amidst my reverie, I did not notice him walking in my direction until he was a few feet before me. My heart was hammering in my chest as I willed him not to notice or recognise me. But he did for I saw that same hard look whenever he was onto something.

He stood before me, his bagpack slung over one shoulder. Still looking at me, he took the seat opposite mine. I could not look anywhere else but at him. Who would have thought that I'd meet him at a Starbucks cafe in the airport?

Our eyes met and I willed myself not to betray any emotions. I had not forgiven him and this meeting would not be anything different. But could I still resist after 8 long years of not hearing his voice?

"Hello Clary," he muttered in that voice of his. Yeah, I'm a goner...

* * *

Jace's POV

She sat before him, a sketchbook and pencil poised in mid-air as she drank in the sight of him. Was it awe or hatred that was on her face? Had she forgiven him or was he still hated by the very women he had loved for almost 10 years?

The girl he had fallen head over heels for had disappeared. Instead, in her place was a woman with long red hair which fell until her waist in soft curls. Her fringe was pulled back from her face, something she never did when she was a teenager. The shy Clary he knew then had been replaced by this matured woman who was before him. They might look different but there was no mistaking those vivid green eyes.

"Hello Jace," she muttered as a reply, her voice as soft as velvet. He resisted the urge to shiver in pleasure at the sound of it.

"I didn't know you'll be here," he admitted, already feeling awkward having a conversation with someone he had not seen in 8 years; not to mention a someone who had fled from him.

"Yeah, same here. What are you doing here?" she asked, probing. Her voice held hints of wariness and frustration.

"I have a job here. My company is thinking of setting up a branch here in Moscow," he lied. Well, it was partly true but there was no way he was going to say that he wanted her back or that Isabelle had sent him.

"I see..." she trailed off, as she fingered the rim of her cup.

An awkward silence filled the air as one of them tried to form the next conversation. He fidgeted nervously in his chair, unsure as to how he should continue. However, Clary did not spare him a chance.

"Isabelle sent you, didn't she? She wanted you to get me back," Clary said, leaning against her chair as she crossed her legs and peered at him.

"Yeah she did. But that is partly true. The reason... The main reason as to why I'm here is because... I miss you, Clary," he admitted. There was no reason why he should lie.

"But I don't miss you, Jace. I never did. I didn't write you for a reason." _Ouch,_ he thought,_ that one hurt. _

"I don't know how true your reasons are, but no, I don't want to go back. This is where I belong, Jace." She continued.

Her voice sounded cold, and it was as if a glass heart had shattered, a million pieces of debris falling from it. The pain, the doubting and the denying of her emotions were pure and raw that he knew she was lying. Why, why couldn't she admit that she missed him? Why must she be so cold?

Had he made her that way? Was it his fault that the girl he had known, had _loved,_ was gone?

"I really hope you are here on a business purpose as you said, instead of looking for me. Fate might have been kind to you for today's meeting, but I don't want to see you again," she stated as she gathered her things and stood up. With a nod as a signal of departing, she walked away in the direction of the exit.

He sat there, dumbfounded, as he tried to process what had happened. No, fate was cruel to let him meet her right after he arrived.

Pushing his chair back and slinging his bag on his shoulder, Jace ran after her with a hope-filled heart that she would come to her senses. He grabbed her hand from behind, causing her to turn her head in surprise. The sadness on her face was apparent, the same sadness that he had faced when they were apart.

"Listen to me Clary. Eight years I had waited for you and I'll be willing to wait a few more years just so you will realise that I love you and have never stop loving you until the day I die. No, I will not stop even then. I want you by my side, with me just like what we had promised to each other."

"Those were just words, Wayland. Promises are meant to be broken, you would know, you broke all of yours," she said through gritted teeth as she fought his hold as well as the tears that were brimming in his eyes.

Her eyes were tearing up, as if she herself was debating her reactions to his words. She was confused and denying herself.

"I might have broken that one promise but I do not intend to break my other promises that I had made to you. Hell Clary, I did not even sleep with her!" He argued as he tried to talk some sense into the same stubborn woman.

However, her answer was not what he had expected.

"I know. Isabelle told me about it during our second letter," she admitted. The hold on her wrist slackened as he took in what she had just said. His heart and mind reeling at this new information.

"Then why..."

"Why did I never return? Because I didn't want to, I still don't. You think just because you passed out drunk before you could actually do anything with her changes that you lied and broke promises," she replied, looking away with the most fragile expression on her face; an emotion so raw, it hurt him just from looking.

However, they were interrupted when a young girl ran in their direction and hugged Clary around her waist.

~X~

She flashed Clary a dimpled smile as she started jumping up and down, begging to be carried.

"Mummy!" she squealed, hugging Clary even tighter as Clary tried to pry the girl away. Laughing at her antics, Clary took hold of her and carried her in her arms even when she looked as if she was 6 years of age.

"Rayne. What are you doing here?" Clary asked, all traces of their earlier fight disappearing as she stared at the child called Rayne.

_Rayne..._

_Mummy..._

"Daddy brought me here. He said you are drawing. Then we had a race to see who can find you and I run faster than Daddy!" she said excitedly as she snuggled against Clary's neck.

"Where is Daddy?" Clary asked, frowning as she scanned her surroundings.

"Buying ice cream! I reached you first," the girl explained simply, not really caring if she was understood. Suddenly, she met his eyes and peered curiously at the new stranger, him. She frowned, as if she wanted to be sure who he was before some kind of understanding lit her eyes.

"Are you the man from the photograph? Mummy warned me not to talk to strangers but you look like Mummy's friend from the photograph. So you are not a stranger since Mummy was talking to you," she concluded with the innocence of a child. A brilliant smile formed on her face just for him.

As much as his heart was breaking, he smiled back at her. Dark brown curls framed her delicate face as big azure blue eyes stared at him.

* * *

"Rayne, how many times must I tell you not to ask you mother to carry you," an exasperated voice join the conversation. A voice he knew well enough that he did not have to look to see who it was. Damen sauntered into view with two ice cream cones in his hands.

With a squeal, Rayne jumped out of her mother's arm and begged Damen to carry her. He passed the two ice cream cones to Clary before he took her in his arms.

"Daddy! Mummy's friend is here!" she announced happily, while pointing over to him.

_Daddy? Did it mean that..._

_Clary is married to Damen?_

As if only realising Jace was there, Damen turned, a look of bewilderment and hesitance passed his face.

"Yeah, I know that. Hey Jace," Damen greeted, though Jace could see the way he was glancing at Clary as if he too was unsure as to what he should do.

"Hey Rayne, why don't we go out for a walk while Mummy finish up her conversation with her friend, hmm?" he suggested finally, as if he himself could not take the tensed and awkward situation.

"Ok! Bah-bye Uncle Jace. Visit us soon! Mummy misses you a lot!" she said loudly as her father carried her out.

Jace could not do anything but stare at the petite woman in front of him who was clutching two ice cream cones.

"He forgot these on purpose," she muttered.

"Your daughter?" he asked finally, unable to grasp the situation.

"Yeah. Damen and mine," she said haltingly.

"I see... how old is she?" Numbness had started to creep up towards his heart.

"8. But she is small for her age. Like me," she sighed. With one last small smile on her lips, she followed Damen's steps outside, leaving him alone to sink further down. The fleeting hope he had felt had diminished almost in an instance...

Everything he had lived for was gone...

* * *

Clary's POV

"Married?" Damen's unbelieving voice filled the air as we walked back to our apartment.

"I didn't necessarily tell him I was..." I trailed off.

"But you knew that's what he thought and let him continue to think it." He stated.

"I had to. It was the only way..." I argued but was interrupted.

"It was the only way to let him go. But don't you think he suffered enough?" he asked as he shifted Rayne's weight in his arms as the young girl slept.

"I don't know... But I can't face it. Not now," I muttered.

"I know what you mean. Look, I don't really mind what you want to do about you and Jace as long as you don't bring Rayne into it. Though I can't believe you said we are married. Hell, we can't even sleep together let alone marry," he chided jokingly as he narrowly dodged the blow that I had aimed on his arm.

But deep down, something he said bothered me.

Had Jace suffered enough?

* * *

***Insert epic music here* HAHA! So yeah, that was the very chapter that I had thought about for a few months... I just can't resist dramatic meetings...**

**Do not fret though. Jace and Clary WILL have their happy ending. I'm making sure of that. That's all for now! Please review!**


	18. Don't Want An Ending

Hey! So, yeah, here's the next chapter!

Warnings: It's kinda short since this is just the beginning of a new arc.

Disclaimer: Like I had said in the previous chapter, I have no experienced in any love matters and everything here is based on my influence from books, movies and my imagination.

I do not own Mortal Instruments.

* * *

Special thanks to: JiLLiAN2548 , treebuggies109, KSD1 , Beautiful-With-Pain , , loving ya, lj3girls, LovelyBanshee28 , smileysgoboing , Anonymous1997, Booksandbeachgirl , Arya Islanzadisdaughter , Unsigned reviewer, rayrayX96 , coolicetwilight , Forbidden Black Rose , icyfirelove3 , lowshie , hawaiiangrl , caligril13 , geelynbenefice, Bagginsthename for reviewing.

And not forgetting:SoaringWings, Arya Islanzadisdaughter, Forbidden Black Rose, LilRosee, Flare-The-Wolf, liliannechavez, 88puddles, LJ82, georgielangtonxx for adding Glass Hearts as their fav story/story alert.

And lastly to Krys Berm for being my most awesome better reader!

* * *

Chapter 18: Don't Want An Ending

Jace's POV

"Sir, there is a phone call for you on line one. Would you like me to patch it through or take a message?" His secretary's voice entered the room, breaking the silence he had built around himself. But he simply ignored her, just like how he had ignored everything else going on around him.

His desk was cluttered, filled with clusters of documents awaiting his signatures. Post-its, notes and fountain pens of different colours littered his table, screaming for his attention. But he did not even glance at them. His body might be in his office but his mind was somewhere else... wrapped up in a memory he could not forget.

Her voice was like his personal poison; slipping under his skin and invading the spaces in his heart. But now, the fleeting hope he had felt that they would be reunited was shattered, crumbling into nothing. He had thought-no, he had deluded himself into thinking-that Clary was still his. How wrong he was... She had moved on, determined to put her past behind her. He had thought that she was suffering, that she still loved him but he was wrong. Hell, he was as far from right as he could get.

Visions of Clary and him reuniting were now far gone. Instead, what replaced it was a vast emptiness; a dark abyss. He felt as if he had no future, as if everything he lived for was gone. Maybe it was, for he lived for Clary. His heart beat for hers, her every breath was his. But now, everything was crumbling down, breaking into pieces. He could not feel; he could not see... all he felt was...

Numb.

It was a numbness that seemed to consume him body and soul. There was nothing for him left to feel. Nothing could change that. Nothing. Not even a phone call...

"Mr. Wayland?" The woman's voice rang out again.

He finally turned to the woman at his doorway. A motherly woman, probably in her mid-thirties, stood there staring at him. She was wearing black dress pants with a black blazer. Her blonde hair was pulled tightly into a bun at the nape of her neck and her blue eyes crinkled in worry, worry for him.

"Is everything alright, Sir?" she asked, concern thickly lacing her tone.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Renee," he answered woodenly. She must have known that he did not want to be disturbed for she nodded and exited the room. However, she entered it again, as if she had just remembered something.

"A man is on the phone. Said he has something urgent to tell you but he wouldn't leave his name. I'll tell him to call you back later ok?" She confirmed.

He nodded, though he did not even register what she had just said.

Once the door closed, the wave of self-pity enveloped him in a great massive bubble, suffocating him as he fought back the rage, the tears and the pain of his new fate.

Damn, but he was never this weak.

He needed to get out, he needed to escape from this harsh reality that he had sunk into. Taking the coat that was draped over his leather chair, he headed out of his office. He muttered an excuse about his absence before he took the elevator down and exited the building.

Heading to the one place he knew would bring him comfort.

* * *

Clary's POV

The sharp arch of an eyebrow.

The piercing golden-brown irises which caught every detailed movement.

The crook of his arm as he held the bouquet.

"Holy shit," I muttered to myself when I realised what I had drawn. Damn it, it was the fifth time I drew him in my art pieces, a major sign that something was seriously wrong with my mind.

Cursing under my breath, I tore away the paper from the sketch pad I was drawing on and chucked it aside, not caring that I had wasted yet another piece of valuable art material.

What was wrong with me? Why was I so distracted with my thoughts of him? It had been 2 weeks since we last met at the airport yet I could not forget about him. And when you add the past 8 years to my emotional turmoil... I would get my recipe of disaster.

Why was it so hard to forget about him when he had hurt me so much? Even when I knew the truth about the whole incident, I could not bring myself to forgive him and accept him back into my life. It was as if I was shutting everyone out except for the people around me. Yet, he came and my heart was beginning to call out for him, wanting him to fill the ache in my heart.

And somehow I resisted. I wanted him to know how I felt, wanted him to know how much I had to suffer because of him. My heart was caged up, locked deep in the deepest parts of my soul. So deep that even I could not touch it. But, he came and those locks were loosening, as if they had found their own key. But he was not the key and he will never be.

I hated him, hated him... hated him. So why am I reaching out for him? Why am I hesitating and doubting? Why do I feel like meeting him and telling him that everything was alright?

Running my fingers through my hair, I cursed again and stared at the blank canvas in front of me. My 'Memories' Gallery was next week, and for some unknown reason I still could not draw anything without thinking of him.

_Because you're pushing him away when he was your memory_, my heart argued.

And I found myself agreeing with it. The most treasured, the most blissful and the most painful memories were of him. He was my light yet he was my fire. He filled me yet he broke me apart. He was my blood when I needed him, my breath when I yearned for him... Now he was the very reminder of my memories. He was my treasured memories, yet at the same time, the very memories which I wanted to burn.

Damn it.

Now I knew what was wrong. Now I knew the very feeling which had arose in me when I met him 2 weeks ago and the sleepless nights that followed. I felt the tears threatening to escape from my eyes as I held back the choked sob.

Hell, I love him. I never stopped loving him all this while.

* * *

Jace's POV

The gravity which had pulled him, anchored him, had faded away; which was making him feel as if he was drifting off into nowhere. Even as he sat on the bench in the park did nothing to soothe him. Ever since Clary left his life, nature was who he confided in. It was his haven, his peace. Yet he felt nowhere near calm as he sat in the middle of the park which was a few blocks from his office.

Looking at the children in front of him did little to make him momentarily forget about her. Thoughts of the young girl filled his mind. Her azure blue eyes and silky brown hair somehow did not fit. Clary had red hair and green eyes. Damen had black hair and eyes. Yet the girl was different.

She might have taken from Damen's side for she looked so much like her father instead of her mother. He should feel happy that Clary was happy, but all he felt now was, frankly speaking, like shit.

"Hullo. Whatcha here?" a young girl's voice broke his reverie. He blinked and realised he was looking at the same girl he was thinking of.

"Hey Rayne," he muttered weakly, a forced smile on his lips.

"Uncle Jay. Why are you looking so sad?" she asked as she took her seat next to him, her piercing blue eyes peering at him. He did not answer her. Instead he just stared at her, taking comfort from the little innocent girl who did not know anything about his past with her mother.

"Did you visit _them_?" she asked, her voice dropping a notch as she whispered at him.

"Them?"

"Yeah. Them. They are always here with us, ya know. Mommy is still here with me, looking over me," she answered, leaning back as if they were in this together about something.

"Where's your Dad?" he asked instead, confused with the girl's answer.

"Daddy is still with Mommy. He feels sad every time he visits her. Says she is still with us. I miss Mommy. I never get to meet her," she said, a calm yet serious tone entered her voice, presenting a maturity he did not expect from an eight-year old.

"Do you know Mommy? Daddy said you went to the same school as her and Mommy Clary," she asked.

"Who is your Mommy?" he asked, utterly confused with what she was saying. She must have caught his confusion for she tugged his hand as she jumped off the bench.

"C'mon. I'll bring you to meet Mommy. She will love to see you finally here with us. Mommy Clary's always thinks about you. I know coz' she always looks at the picture of you and her. Mommy will be so happy that you're back in our lives. Mommy Clary can finally be happy," she chattered on and on as she dragged him across the park and headed towards the cemetery which he did not know existed.

However, as he tried to process the child's words, he saw Damen standing over a grave with a white rose in his hand. He looked up when he saw Rayne and Jace and gave a grin that did not reach his eyes.

"So, you were dragged here?" Damen asked him as Rayne pulled him up close to the grave. He could only nod as he tried to process what was happening.

There was a silence as Jace stared at Damen who was kneeling over the grave, his eyes downcast. Never before had he seen such the fragile side of the other man.

"I loved her you know, still do. I could not bear to see her suffer. So, I decided to bring her along. Then, she died when she gave birth to Rayne. I still remember her last words: Take care of her. Give Clary the happiness she is missing," he muttered softly before he placed the rose on the grave.

Jace stared at the name, though he could not believe his eyes as he re-read the words over and over again.

_Here lies Rochelle Marie Francis_

_She may be gone but she will always stay in our hearts_

"Rochelle?" Jace asked, confused.

"Yeah. I brought Rochelle here to live with me and Clary. However, she died due to the lost of blood when she gave birth to Rayne eight years ago. That was when Clary and I decided to raise this little girl on our own," he replied as he reached out to place an arm the young girl who was standing bravely next to her father.

"But I thought... you and Clary..." he started but Damen gave a short laugh, raising a hand to stop him midway.

"Clary and I are siblings, not anything else," he explained.

Jace stared at him, his mouth wide-open as he took in the new truth before him.


	19. Before I Fall

**HEY!**

**Firstly, I want to apologise for the late update. I was busy with school work, examinations and preparing for my trip to UK. So yeah, late update. My Beta, Krys, was also busy with her finals and papers. **

**I want to thank: loving ya, Anonymous1997, Bagginsthename, Booksandbeachgirl, geelynbenefice, SoaringWings, lilapattinson, icyfirelove3, Forbidden Black Rose, i guess im going under again, Kk, invisibleme1835, Night Wolf, Palec Aaige, tmithglost, isabelle-berliner, fgf for reviewing **

**as well as: oO-MidsummerDance-Oo, soangel, Love from Hell, shadowhuntergirl1011, ShootingStars02, Psychotic Peppermint BUFFY, invisibleme1835, loveyy56, fallenangel320, Pearl919, missivashkov, Sammy-Lynn2379, loveforVHudgens for adding Glass Hearts as your fav story/story alert.**

**That's all for today folks! **

**Enjoy the chapter, _minna-san_!**

**Ja ne~**

* * *

Chapter 19: Before I Fall

_8 years ago_

Damen's POV

"Tell me Damen. If you and Clary were together, would you put her happiness first?"

Damen stared at Jocelyn, his mouth hanging open as he tried to comprehend what she was exactly saying. She met his stare, an air of anxiety and sadness built around her.

"You love her, don't you?" she asked again, apparently feeling that the silence was starting to get a little disconcerting.

Never before in his life had an adult asked him such a personal question. Normally, the only thing they told him was to do his own work, as if he was the most regrettable and unreliable factor in his uncle's mansion. But then, the only adults he talked to were the servants and tutors. Though that did little to explain the weird feeling that was settling around them.

"I guess so," he answered lamely, when he realised that she was still waiting for an answer. The smile that followed was not comforting at all. Somehow, he felt this peculiar sensation that something-probably his answer-was wrong.

"It can't be help then. There's no other way but the truth," Jocelyn muttered softly as she fingered the locket around her neck.

"You and Clary... aren't meant to be together. You just can't," she stated in a calm and precise tone that told him there were to be no arguments over what she had just said. However, before he could even reply, she cut him off.

"It's not that I don't like you, Damen. I really do. I see the way you look at her and I know you care for her a lot. But..."

There it was, the usual 'but'. From the time he was young, he had heard enough of those excuses.

_...But, you're adopted..._

_...But, you're not a Penhallow..._

_...But...I just can't..._

However, the next few words that were uttered from Jocelyn's mouth were something he never expected to hear in his life.

"You're her brother. _You're my son._"

Present

Jace's POV

"How did she know?" Jace asked even though he had actually intended to let Damen continue. Damen's soft chuckles broke the hanging tension in the atmosphere while they stared off at Rayne playing by herself on the swing. Her legs pumped back and forth making her swing higher in the air. Her hair flowed behind her as she went forward and then covered her face on the way back causing her to squeal out in happiness.

"Mothers always have this sixth sense. Just like my aunt and her mother," he suggested with a shrug. Longing settled on his face as he waved at the young girl who was smiling over at them. To him it didn't even matter that she was not even related to him by blood.

"She told me I look a lot like him, my dad. Told me we were similar and showed me the only picture she had of us. It was then that I knew the truth. She never left me. Instead, it was the other way around. When my dad died, he left me in the care of my uncle here in Russia until I went to Hayes Academy with Aline," he said flatly as if he hated recalling the past.

"Aline?"

"Yeah, she's my somewhat distant cousin. Not that I care," he continued, mumbling the last part with a hint of malice.

Jace glanced at the other man, his own emotions in turmoil. Perhaps learning about Rayne, Clary and Damen on the same day was a little bit too much.

_Clary_

Hell, his chest and heart constricted just thinking about her. To think that she would go this far...

"She's a real beauty, isn't she?" Damen's voice interrupted his inner thought. Jace frowned, wondering who he was talking about when he saw Rayne running in their direction, a huge grin on her face.

"What really happened? Why are you taking care of her?" he asked out of curiosity and wonder. Looking at Rayne now, he did not believe that he had actually though she was Clary's daughter. They did not look the least bit similar. Then again, he believed anything Clary told him, even if it led to his demise.

There was Rochelle in Rayne, and thinking about his friend now brought up memories of 8 years ago.

"2 months after Clary and I left, I came back for her. And if you're wondering if I love Rochelle, yes I did. I love her more than I love Clary, even though she's gone now. But fate had other plans for her. 7 months into her pregnancy, something complicated it. Rayne is a premature baby. A few weeks after Rayne's birth, Rochelle died of blood loss."

"Clary and I knew that Rochelle was disowned and no one wanted to care for her child. That's why we took Rayne in and treated her as ours," he finished, a proud glint in his eyes.

"But she knew..."

"Yeah she knew. We did not keep it from her. We told her everything. Amazingly, she understood everything, a feat for someone her age," Damen commented wistfully. He scooped the young girl up in his arms as soon as she reached them and kissed her forehead. Rayne wrapped her arms around her step-father, burying her face in the hollow of his neck.

"Love you daddy." Her voice was barely a whisper as she closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. Jace saw the fleeting look on Damen's face as he held her tighter in his arms. She was his everything, she was his life.

"I love you too."

If only he, Jace, could say those words again to the woman he loves. If only he could hear those words from her again...

Clary's POV

_Clary_

Again I tried to block out his voice. All those memories, those times we spent together was killing me, breaking me into pieces and creating pain in the depths of my heart I never knew existed. He was like an avenging angel; coming down from Heaven and plummeting blows in my weak heart until I truly acknowledged my feelings for him. I love him, I never stopped loving him all this while. It took 8 years for me to take my first step to move on yet it took only a week for me to fall again.

"I can't love him. I just can't," I mumbled to myself when there was no one around me but my painting. The painting of the broken swing in my backyard, the oak tree looming over it. Memories were created, preserved and forgotten from it. Yet at the moment, as I tried to paint the past, they came again in great succession. Vivid details like the way the sun changed to tone of his eyes, the way the soft breeze ruffled his hair and the way he smelled, smiled and laughed... unimportant details yet needed in this horrid thing called life. Fate really was a cruel thing.

With one final stroke of the brush of red across the sky, I put my paintbrush aside and took a step back to observe the canvas in front of me. The sunset, vibrant and promising brightened up the sky, the broken swing and the oak tree-painted on canvas and yet they felt so real and intense. However, there was something still missing... something I could not place my finger on.

Shrugging it off, I covered my final art piece with a cloth and left it in my studio.

Jace's POV

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Damen asked. Never before had he thought he'd be having such a conversation with the man he had hated.

"I don't know. Hell, I don't even know what her current exact feelings are," Jace said through gritted teeth, his frustration already reaching its peak.

There was a moment of silence as the two men tried to assess the situation they were in. However, it was Damen who broke the silence first.

"Do you still love her?" he asked coolly. He played with the rim of the wine glass in his hand.

Did he still love her? That was a good question. After all that he had done, he was sure she did not. But his feelings for her? She had lied, left him, and faked a relationship just so she could prove she hated him. Those were the consequences of his past mistakes. As for his love...

"I had loved her ever since I first saw her 10 years ago and until now, I still love her even if she doesn't feel the same," he replied, slightly awed that his voice remained clear despite the whirlwind of emotions he was facing.

A satisfied smile formed on Damen's face. He put the glass down on the table and went to Jace's room to pick up a sleeping Rayne. Once she was tucked comfortably and safely in his arms, Damen showed himself out.

However, as Jace stood at the doorway, watching Damen, the other man stopped before he walked away.

"If this is any consolation to you, Clary feels the exact same way that you are feeling. She loves you only she's not willing to admit it. She does not know what to trust and believe in now. Goodbye, Jace."

With a brief nod of his head, Damen turned on his heels and headed towards the elevator of the apartment, leaving Jace dumbfounded.

_xxxxx_

When he entered the room, he saw a crisp white envelope on his bed, waiting patiently to be read. Frowning, Jace picked it up and opened it, only to reveal an invitation to an Art Gallery the next day.

_She loves you only she's not willing to admit it._

Biting his lower lip, he put the invitation down and saw a written note in the envelope.

_She'll be there. Do what you must to get her back. I trust you._

However, there was one thing he did not tell Damen, Rayne or anyone else. He was leaving the next day. Tomorrow was the last day he could persuade Clary to return or be with him.

After that, there was no other way. He would have to forget about her, about their life if she was still adamant and denying her feelings.

_There was no other way..._

* * *

Please review! Oh, before I forgot, Glass Hearts is ending in 2 chapters so you gotta review ok!

Byes~


	20. One Last Shot

**OMG! Finally, the second last chapter of Glass Hearts! I'm not going to say a lot of stuff, so yeah. Mhmm, do keep in mind that this is the SECOND last chapter. Okies!**

**My thanks to: hawaiiangrl, Lizzy, lj3girls, Booksandbeachgirl, Beautiful-With-Pain, PaigeAndTravisStoll, Love from Hell, icylovefire3, invisibleme 1835, lilianneherondale, Anonymous1997, loving ya , IzzyHerondale, Bagginsthename, soangel, Nikki Gargol, JiLLiAN2548, Maranna Listten, iH3aRtChAc3CrAwF0rDXxx for reviewing the last chapter.**

**And not forgetting: invisibleme1835, Bannery, , lilianneherondale, Nikki Gargol, J. A. M. I Pettyfer 29, LisaGeorge, Maranna Listten, swirlofcolor, The Roses Shadow, ****iH3aRtChAc3CrAwF0rDXxx, toloveistodestroy for adding Glass Hearts as their favourite story/ story alert.**

******Thank you so much for supporting me up till this far! XD**

* * *

**Chapter 20: One Last Shot**

_His voice rang loud and deep within my ears, as if he did not face the shields that I had built around me. Well, maybe he didn't. He never did._

"_Clary," he whispered softly as he stared at me across the street. His hand was reached out, as if he wanted to touch me. As if he knew I wanted to touch him._

"_Let go," he continued. Let go? Let go of what? What was I holding on...or holding back? I tried to speak, to tell him that I did not need nor want him. That I hated him._

_That I loved him._

_But no words came out, no matter how hard I struggled to force a sound out. It was as if someone had cut off my tongue. But in fact, I knew the reason why my voice could not reach out to him. _

_Because I was holding back my emotions. I held myself back from running into his arms and I held back the tears that I wanted to shed because of him. I was holding back because of him, because he created emotions in me that I never understood. He only made me all messed up._

_How could someone love and hate at the same time? Why can't I just feel hatred or love? Why must I feel both?_

"_Let go," he whispered again, his voice softer after every moment. Urging me to let go of the shields I had built around me, around my fragile glass heart. He gazed at me, the love he had for me deep in his eyes. But could the same be said with mine?_

_Do I still love him, after everything that he did to me?_

Yes, I do.

_Struggling, I tried to relax the impregnable emotional fortress I had built around me. It started to fade, started to disappear into thin air. _

_I love him, no matter what. He is everything to me. He is my blood, my soul, my breath. Everything. Just as how I was everything to him._

_However, too soon, I knew something was wrong as the smile on his face started growing smaller as sadness crept in his eyes. He still gazed into my green eyes, but the love was diminishing. Instead, pain and sadness replaced it. Slowly, they started to wrap themselves around him, consuming him. Telling him I did not want him anymore._

_I tried to fight back but somehow, the shields had built up. Somehow, I was wrapped in my own impenetrable bubble, where no one could touch me. Where I had sworn that no one would ever touch me. _

_He looked up and peered at me through hooded eyes. His hand fell to his side as we remained where we were. We stared, amidst the sea of people. It was as if it was just the two of us in this bleak world. None of us made the first move, fear and doubts conquering our weak hearts. And then I heard it: his voice, emotionless._

"_You're not ready," he said, as if it was the truth. Maybe it was. I tried to argue but before a sound came out from my mouth, a huge delivery truck slammed into him, throwing his body a few feet away, a pool of blood slowly cased around him..._

_xxxxx_

"JACE!"

I screamed, sitting up at once. My hands were outreached, as if I had wanted to grab something within my reach.

I had wanted to grab Jace.

Biting my lower lip, I buried my head in my hands as the tears started to escape. The tears I had sworn never to shed. Goddammit, but he stirred things in me that I did not want to experience.

I saw my dishevelled reflection in the mirror in front of me and took in my tangled curls and pale complexion. Dark circles were formed around my eyes from sleepless nights. Bloody nightmare. It had haunted me for two nights in a row, as if it was telling me something.

As if it was telling me that Jace would get hurt.

Because of me.

Gritting my teeth, I shoved those thoughts deeper inside and made sure they would not surface ever again. I hated myself for being so weak. Jace. He had me to my knees, no matter what. He stole my breath, the pulse of my heart and a piece of my soul-no matter what. Because he belonged to me.

No, that was not it. I couldn't love him. No matter how hard my heart begged me to, I just couldn't. Wouldn't. He deserved someone better. Someone better than me.

I knew I was not meant for him. Surely there was someone out there who was his soul mate, who was meant for him. I did not deserve him. I never did.

I kicked the blanket and sat on the edge of the bed, the soles of my feet touching the soft carpet of the apartment. I slipped on my bedroom slippers and picked up the silk robe thrown over the television. I wrapped it around myself and headed to Rayne's room.

I peeked through the small silt of the door and saw her father next to her, both asleep. Smiling to myself, I realised it was not the first time that Damen fell asleep while reading to her. I entered the room slowly, not wanting to disturb the two of them. Bending over Rayne's bed, I brushed back the strands of hair that covered her face.

This was my life now.

And Jace could not be a part of it, because we were not meant to be together.

* * *

Jace's POV

He felt the crisp envelope in his coat's pocket, a reminder of what he had to do. He nodded at Damen who was across the room with his daughter and approached her-the one who conquered his thoughts and dreams.

Clary.

Her back was to him as she chatted with a group of fellow artist, her long curly red hair glittering under the soft spotlight. She wore an emerald cocktail dress-the colour of her eyes. He stood a few metres from her, observing as to how she looked up and scanned the room every few moments. As if she was looking for someone. Even when she talked to her friends, she seemed distracted. The way her eyes seemed to fade, the long pauses before she answered, the repeated questions... something was not right.

Taking in a deep breath, he approached her. But before he had even taken a step, she turned, as if she sensed that he was there. And their eyes locked in an instant-green meeting gold. At once, everything seemed to stop. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours, hours turned to days as he just looked at her, drinking the very sight of her in and etching it into his memory.

He only saw her amidst the crowd. It was as if she was the only colour in a sea of grey, the only life among the people. As he walked, people seemed to part before him, as if they knew his intentions. He increased his stride when he saw the desire to bolt in her eyes.

No, this was the last time he could talk to her. And he would not waste it, even if it kills him.

* * *

Clary's POV

Our gazes locked on each other as he walked towards me with that swagger of his. At once, my throat felt dry. Words fell from my lips as the only thing I could think about was him. I did not even realise that the women around me had walked away until he stood next to me.

It was as if the air sizzled between us as we held back from touching, from speaking. I stared at him, drinking the very sight of him. But when I stared into his eyes and saw the emotion in them, I turned away.

_He deserved someone better_

Suddenly, I couldn't wait to get out of the room. Even the abstract painting which depicted swirls of random colours seemed better to look at.

"Clary."

Just that one word had me breaking. Just saying my name and already, I felt like embracing him.

"Clarissa," he whispered my name again, like a prayer he whispered every day.

"Jace," I nodded back at him, trying to keep the thick emotions out from my voice.

There was a moment of silence as we stared at the painting before us, none of us knowing how to continue the conversation.

"I didn't know you come to this sort of thing," I stated calmly, even though my heart was racing just from the fact that we were stood so close together. So close, and yet so far

"I didn't either. Rayne invited me though," he answered, chuckling softly at whatever he was thinking.

I could not ignore the way my heart fell when I foolishly had thought he came because of me. No, it was because of Rayne. My mischievous little girl.

"She's somewhere in the room. I'll go and find her," I answered weakly, plastering a smile even I knew did not reach my eyes. I had to get away from him, before it was too late.

I turned and walked away, fighting back the tears that was brimming in my eyes-tears that I had always held back.

But before I could even walk away, he grabbed hold of my wrist.

"Clary," he said again, frustration evident in his voice. "I did not come here because of her. I came here because of you."

_Do not turn, do not turn._

"Look at me, Clarissa."

_I can't._

"Please."

One word. Just that one word was all it took to break down my barriers. I turned and at once, I knew I shouldn't have.

* * *

Jace's POV

He saw the way her shields crumbled, saw the way she fought her feelings. He knew then that she saw the intention in his eyes, saw the way he felt for her.

But she just had to fight it.

"Let me go, Jonathan Christopher Wayland," she said coldly. He blinked, realising that for the first time, she used his full name.

If she kept on fighting, so should he. She had to know the truth. He released her wrist, slowly. Satisfaction gleamed in her eyes as she held her wrist close to her chest and was about to walk away when he pulled her again and she crashed in his chest as he wrapped his arms around her in an embrace.

He missed the way she felt so soft and fragile in his arms, missed the way her heart beat against his chest. He missed her voice, her smile, her laughter... everything. This was where she belonged -in his arms and by his side.

And he had no intentions of letting her go.

* * *

Clary's POV

The rhythmic beating of his heart.

The steady breaths.

These were the few things I missed about him. From the way he held me in his arms, from the way he stroke my hair, his caresses...

Why couldn't I forget them?

He bent his head lower until his lips were next to my ear. His warm breath sent tingles down by spine and I realised that I missed this intimacy I knew I didn't deserve. And I wanted it to stay. Slowly, he muttered the words that I wanted to hear with sincerity I never knew he possessed.

"I'm sorry, Clary. Please forgive me."

* * *

Jace's POV

"I already did, unknowingly, a long time ago," she whispered back as she gripped his shirt tighter. He sensed her confusion as if she wanted to push him away yet at the same time, wanted him closer.

He rested his chin on her head, glad that everything was turning out the way it was. He knew he had managed to break through by apologising. But everything seemed to shatter when he felt her stiffened in his arms and pushed him away.

"I can't Jace. Not with you," she whispered without conviction in his voice.

But he saw the dilemma in her eyes, heard it in her voice as she fought back her feelings for him.

"This is my life now. You... you deserved someone better than me," she whispered, a voice barely a caress to his ears.

She thought that she was undeserving? If only she knew it was _he_ who did not deserve her yet he coveted for the unattainable.

He held her wrists in his and pulled her closer, daring her to move, to say a word as he told her everything he had wanted to say when he realised that this was his last day with her.

"Why must you fight it, Clarissa? Why must you keep on fighting the fact that you love me? Clary, for eight years I waited for you to come back to me but it was only yesterday that I realised that I was a fool to think so. But just listen to me, please. My heart is and has always been yours. You think that you don't deserve me when in fact I am the one not deserving of you. I hurt you, betrayed you and you have every reason to hate me. But even if you hate me, I'll still love you. I love you and I'll love you until I die, and if there's a life after that, I'll love you then. So why must you keep on fighting when you and I both know that we still love each other. Why must you keep on denying it?"

There, he said it, not bothering to hide anything. She had to know, had to realise the truth. He stared at her gauging her reaction from his confession. But what followed after that was not what he expected.

She pulled her wrists again and took two steps back. He saw the way her body trembled, as if she was crying...or laughing. When she looked up, tears were flowing freely from her eyes, tears she did not bother to stop. And she was laughing, humourlessly.

"Conceited little fool. Do you really think I still love you? Do you really think I still want you after what you did to me? I might've forgiven you but you're too arrogant to even think that I still love you," she stared, her voice dripping with malice.

"Do you seriously think I could trust you again? No, Jace. I'd never trust you. I'd never love you ever again. Love, you throw that word around so freely, don't you? Well, newsflash Wayland, I lost my love and trust for you eight years ago and nothing can change that. Not even if you go down beg on your knees. It's gone now," she sneered.

At once, he felt as if the whole gallery was shrinking. He felt so compacted, so breathless and numb. Numb to the fact that he could not even feel hurt or pain from the truth he heard in those words. This was it. She was gone, unreachable.

She'd never be his... Never.

Turning on her heels, she walked away. Calm and compose.

Smiling bitterly, he watched her retreating back, as she walked away from him.

But he'd still love her, even if she hated him.

* * *

Clary's POV

Why, why must I be so cruel? Why must I keep on pushing him when even I myself realised that I want him?

Gritting my teeth, I tried not to notice him. I tried not to see the way his shoulders sagged, as if he was carrying the burden of Atlas. I tried not to notice that what little of hope left in his eyes had disappeared. But I still see him. I saw how he walked away, saw him smiling down at Rayne who stood at the doorway, saw him shaking hands with a guy he had sworn he hated.

I looked away when Damen stared at me but then I noticed him taking out a white envelope and passing it to my brother. He then turned and I saw... I saw the love he had for me even when I held mine back.

Tears started to choke up in my throat as I gazed into the most loving eyes ever. Eyes that held such a tender emotion.

He'd still love me, even when I said I hated him.

And with that, he exited the room. That was when I knew I had done the worst thing ever.

His name barely escaped my mouth when I realised what I had done. I had pushed away the love I always had, the love that belonged to me. He belonged to me just as how I belonged to him, with him.

Cursing inwardly, I ran after him but I stumbled on the heels of my stilettos. Gritting my teeth, I took those cursed shoes off and ran after him, barefooted. But Damen stopped me in the way.

"He asked me to give you this," my brother said in a soft tone. Barely glancing at him, I snatched the envelope in his hand and ran out of the building to be with the one I love most.

"Jace!" I shouted as I tried to find him on the streets that were conquered by fellow Homo sapiens. But, amidst the crowd, I knew he was here. I felt him. And as if my prayers were answered, I saw him in front of me. Just staring at me with a smile on his face. A smile that I returned when I knew everything was going to be alright.

I ran to him, barely noticing the traffic.

_Just a few more feet_

I let myself feel his emotions, let him see my own. In a few moments, we would be together.

But fate was a cruel thing.

* * *

A scream of my name.

The force of a push.

The screech of tires.

A sickening crunch.

I snapped out of my reverie as I hit the hard concrete, the miniature stones pressing into my skin, but I couldn't feel the pain.

The world froze, and replayed, a rewinding film on a slow-motion button. I felt my heart tensed as our eyes locked for a second. They spoke volumes of fear and...contentment. Then they were gone. The truck slammed into Jace's side, and I saw those eyes close in the pain. Jace's body was airborne for a moment; his head angled back, lips parted in a silent scream.

The crunch of Jace's body connecting to the ground slapped me out of my numb thoughts. The need to run to him was overwhelming, yet I couldn't stand, I couldn't run. I could barely drag myself against the cold slabs, ignoring how the stones stabbed into my skin, my quivering hands reaching out to touch that pale skin.

Jace's eyes were closed, but there was a pulse, weak. His chest was rising slowly, as though every breath was painful to take. His face was soft, with some sort of serene painted across the features, even though rivulets of blood were glistening down the side of his mouth. His beautiful golden hair stained with the crimson blood, the concrete below his head stained with said substance. I whimpered as I gripped the side of Jace's face gently, not registering the solemnity of it all, not giving a care about how the dark blood slowly dyed my dress.

Jace eyes opened slightly at my warm._ He was so cold… so, so very cold…_ His golden orbs were dilated with pain but there was still love etched somewhere in them. _His undying love for me_. Jace struggled to speak, his throat making a sickening wet gurgle. _Oh god..._ It was painful to speak, but Jace wanted to.

_Because he could not make it_

No... NO! He is going to make it! He has to make it!

My body started shaking uncontrollably as I watched the blood paint Jace's pale features, that once kissable lips now a dark crimson bloody red. I tried to wipe the blood of his face. My heart constricted from despair and it turned cold, numb. Like a cold fist clenched around it. _This couldn't be happening. _Jace's hand weakly lifted to caress my face. Too_ cold._

_Kiss me._

And I did. Softly, I pressed my lips against his warm ones. A chaste kiss but one that spoke volumes. A gentle kiss but one that made me feel as if I was losing him... As if he would be gone. Just one kiss, a kiss that sealed promises of undying love and loyalty. Just one kiss. Our last kiss.

No. No. No. No!

I felt the tears that I had held back escaped from the dams, dams that never were strong when facing him. Cradling his head in my lap, I leaned my forehead against his as we shared a breath, shared everything we felt for each other.

Our eyes met and something lodged in my throat as I fought the wail back down. They were dazed, but he was _smiling._ I shivered slightly as I felt the cold hand of my soul mate travel from my face to my eyes, wiping the tears there. Again I struggled to speak but I placed my forefinger on his lips.

"Hush, no, there's no need to speak. You're going to live, you're going to get out of this alive. Everything is just a dream, a memory," I whispered softly, nuzzling his nose.

_But was it just a memory as I held him in my arms and every fibre in my body feverishly praying that I was right?_

His hand slipped lower, tracing the edge of my lips and saw how he tried pulling his lips up... to smile.

_Smile._

Jace whispered, voice gurgling with another wet splutter. Those were the very same words he had said to me the first day we met during orientation, when I was crying after my parents left me.

"I love you…' Jace managed to choke out._ I really do,_ his eyes read. Slowly, his hands went limp, cold. The heavy breathing slowed down, as if he did not have the energy to do so... or as if...

_No. No! _I screamed mentally, arms tightening around his hand, uncontrollable tears snaking down my cheeks.

_Don't leave me, please I beg you. Not when we have just found each other..._

_Come back… come back to me._

I whispered repeatedly in his ear, knowing he'd hear me, knowing he'd return back to me, right where he was always meant to be.

_Come back._

I almost screamed when a pair of white gloved hands tried to pry Jace away from me. _No…_ _He's mine…_ I growled mentally as I desperately tried to warm the body with my hands, with my body. As I tried to hold on to him, to what was mine.

_He's not dead, I felt his pulse! I saw the rise in his chest!_

Those were the words that I wanted to scream to the paramedics but somehow, someone held me back as I tried to tear Jace away from them, to hold him in my arms one last time.

_More gloved hands._

_Separating us._

I pulled away from those who held me as I felt myself crumpling to the floor. My knees buckled and I kneeled on the cold gravel road, the tiny pebbles cutting into my knees. But I did not care. Nothing hurt me more than what was happening inside me.

Everything felt as if the world was crumpling, as if there was no colours in this world when he was gone. Memories of our time together played in front of me, as I heard his laughs, saw his smiles...

For one last time.

I buried my face in my hands as I released all the pent-up emotions in me, as tears started to overflow and fall freely from my eyes. My whole body shivered and racked with sobs as I tried to find the hope that he'd live. That he'd be with me.

But there was nothing that made me feel that way. And the last piece of hope shattered when I realised what I never had the chance to say.

_xxxxx_

I felt warm hands around my waist as someone tried to lift me off the road. Warm hands I recognised. Turning, I buried my face in Damen's chest as I cried my heart out, poured everything to him. He understood what I needed for he held me tighter as I cried and wet his shirt. But he held on.

Just holding on to me when I was breaking.

Then I felt a tiny hand in mine.

"He'll be ok. He'll live for you, mommy."

And this time, the heavens cried with me...

* * *

**Chapter 21 will be updated soon! Thank you for reading and please review!**


	21. Smile

**This is it. The final chapter. Do not comment until you have read the last line. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

2 years later

A single leaf fell to the ground, landing gently on the soft trimmed grass. There, it slept with others. There, it closed its eyes and slept forever, never waking up for it knew that once it was separated from the tree, its eyes would remain close. But it was content, for this was how it dreamt its death would be... peaceful. Just like its surroundings.

A sparrow hopped over to the newly fallen leaf, his head tilting to his side as he wondered about this new leaf. A faded green leaf amongst the brown ones. What had happened to it, that it had to fall so early? He wondered whether it was food for him, for he was getting hungry. It was hard for him to find food nowadays. He was small, compared to the other birds in the area.

He tilted his head to the other side as he hopped a few distance, to the tree which the leaf used to live in. He looked up, to the white flowers the tree bore. The wind started picking up then, stirring the fallen leaves at his tiny feet. He followed where the leaves went, thinking he'd take his chance. He was always taking chances. That was the reason he woke up and leapt out of his nest.

He followed, utterly clueless as to where he was going. Until he saw a human, clad in black, standing before a stone block. A grave. The human's head was lowered, a single white rose in her hand as she looked calmly at her feet. The sparrow, curious now as he rarely saw quiet humans up close, went closer to her feet. She saw him and a small smile twitched at her lips. She knelt before him, her hand outstretched. In it were small grains and he knew at once who she was.

She was always here, in this cemetery. Sometimes she would spend hours just staring at the grave, not saying anything. Sometimes, she would come with another man and a younger girl. But often, she was alone.

He picked the grains in her gloved hands and with a tweet; he flew off to leave her in peace. For he could see the despair in her eyes even when she was smiling. As he flew, he saw it still in the back of his mind. No human should feel such grief, such sadness. As if she would never bring herself to smile again.

* * *

I stared at the spot the sparrow had stood. Slowly, I felt the smile dropped from my lips-as usual. Turning to the sky, I stared at the pink and orange hues of sunset. Just staring at the horizon, at nothing in particular. Staring at anything but the grave in front of me.

_And just like every other day, the memories started playing again, in my mind. But, just for today, I welcomed it. In front of me, I saw the day where we first met. I saw the way his blonde hair gleamed under the soft sunlight, the way his eyes glinted as he reached out for me._

"_Is this the first time you're away from your parents?" He asked gently as he sat next to me on the rough boulder. His long legs played with the sand at his feet, at ease with his new surroundings. _

_I nodded as I wiped the tears from my eyes, my thirteen-year old mind wondering who this handsome boy was. Why was he spending his first sunset in Hayes with me, a nobody? He turned them, his eyes searching for mine._

_Standing up all of a sudden, he extended his hand, offering it to me. _

"_Don't worry. I'll take care of you. I promise." He said proudly, smiling down at me. I looked up, to his tall figure and wondered again whether this was some game they usually played in such school._

"_I won't hurt you, I promise," he said, insistently. Inside, I felt my heart reaching out to him, even when I did not know who he was. Gingerly, I twined our hands together and he pulled me up._

_Smile for me, please._

We were thirteen then, our minds fresh and immature. That night, I remembered how I stayed up and thought of his promise to me. Me, plain-old Clarissa. And I did not even know his name. As the days flew by, we got closer and became best friends.

Love blossomed then, as we fought our feelings for each other. Each thinking that it was one-sided. Until that fateful night by the same beach at the same boulder. That was where we confessed our love for each other, where we shared our first kiss.

_Smile for me, Clary_

His warm voice filled my ears, as if he was standing behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist in an embrace. His touch, so warm, his caress, so familiar. Filled with love that never seemed to fade.

_And I felt him_

I felt him as if he was really standing behind me as each of us tried to embrace the moment, even if it was just a second longer. I felt as if he was nuzzling my neck, as if he was planting soft kisses there. And I felt his warm breath in my ear, as he whispered promises of eternity, that he'd never leave my side.

And then it began to fade, slowly, as if he was being pulled away from me. As if I was pulling away from him. Slowly, the warmth I felt temporarily was gone, only his touch and kisses lingering in his wake. That was when I willed myself to look behind, to tell myself that he would never come back.

No one could rearranged fate... no one could rewind the time to prevent an accident. No one could...

My vision started to blur as my eyes fixed on the white tombstone in front me.

Fixed on the name that was carved on the polished rock.

_Jace_

Just saying his name made my throat hurt from the tears that I tried to hold back. I wrapped my arms around myself, digging my gloved nails in my arms. Trying to hold myself together. To hold back the tears, tears that never seemed to end. Tears that held regrets, tears that were meant for him.

Was it always like this when one lost someone? But he wasn't just someone, he was my lover- always is, always will be.

_Jace,_ his name was a whisper on my lips. My prayer. Jace, my love, my soul mate. Was this the end, what I had actually wanted when I now realised I was a fool for being away from you? Was this how it was supposed to be, as a punishment for my stupidity?

Jace, if only you knew that I never stopped loving you, that I was holding myself back from the love you only give to me. Vividly, images from the accident blurred in my mind-when he screamed my name, when he pushed me away. He was not meant to be the victim. I was. But here I am living instead of him. Here I am standing in this lush peaceful greenery and staring at the tombstone which should have bore my name.

Instead, another name was written on it.

The life which should have been yours was taken away because I was self-centred. Because I had thought that I could live without you by my side, just like for the past eight years before I meet you again. But it was not the case, because when you were really gone from my life, I lived mine wallowing in despair because I could never hold you again in my arms. Was it selfish of me to say that I want to hold you, to embrace you just for a second longer before you were taken from me? Could I atone for my sins, for what I had done? I wasn't meant to live... You were.

Melancholy welcomed me in a tight embrace. My throat tightened from the tears I tried not to shed. Too soon, the first tear trickled down my cheeks as silent sobs racked my body. My hands trembled and the burden on my shoulders felt stronger, as my knees crumpled beneath me. Was this the weight of living, when all I wanted to do now was to meet you at the other side?

_Smile_

Would you understand that I could no longer smile without you here? My breathing turned to pants as my heart started to ache from loneliness and lost and a love I could never feel again.

Looking up at the red sky with fresh tears in my eyes, I felt-knew- that this was not what he wanted of me. He'd want me to live, as who I was without him as a burden. Because our grief was shared, my happiness was his. And the last thing I could do for him was to make sure a smile was etched on his lips as he looked on from where he was, remembering that this day, ten-years ago, was when we had first confessed to each other.

In my trench coat pocket was a letter, the same letter written by him two years ago. The only thing he had left me before he passed away. For two years, I stared at the letter, silently pleading for him to return to me. But a letter was all that remained. A letter from the one I love. A letter which I had committed to memory as it carved itself in my heart and memories.

* * *

_Clary_

_Do you remember that day, where we stood beneath the crimson sky? Where a promise was forged, a promise that was never fulfilled? Clary, all my life I had dreamt that we were meant to be together, but that was when my mundane mind never realised the obstacles along the way. The bond between us had strengthened from being broken and retied countless times. But, even that strong yet fragile bond was shattered._

_By the time you're reading this, I'm long gone, out of your life and out of Russia. You've made your mind, and I've made mine. But, even when we are miles apart, I'd never let you go. I'd never stop fighting for you, never stop loving you. Even if I were to find someone else, I won't be able to stop loving you. Even if you were to find someone else, I won't stop loving you. For my heart is and always will be yours, even if you do not want it. And I'll find love in the memories that are fading as each night past quietly._

_Clary, there will be nights where the only thing I can think about is you. There will be days where I will trace your steps to my heart and savour it. There will be times where the only thing I want is to see you, for just one last time, to hear your voice for one second longer. There will be moments when everything I do, I'll think of you. And it will be everyday where I want you by my side._

_But I mustn't be selfish anymore...because I never deserve someone like you in my life. I never deserve the right to desire such happiness, such colour in my life. You'll still remember, won't you, the crimson sky where we first confessed our love for each other? For I'd be thinking of you, every single day, under that same sky we will share in this world._

_Well then, this is goodbye._

_Jace_

* * *

And beneath this same crimson sky, I waited for him. Beneath this same sky, he looked down from the clouds and watched over me, waiting for the smile which he had fallen in love with.

_This is for you, Jace_

Amidst the tears that blurred my eyes, amidst the sadness that had taken its toll in my heart, I smiled. A soft smile filled with bittersweet emotions of longing and wishes. A smile which I knew he would see from where he was.

_Wait for me Jace, I'll meet you there soon._

With a smile fixed on my lips, a smile that-after two years-finally touched my eyes and heart; I played the memories of our time together, over and over again.

And as the single white rose fell from my grip, decorating his grave, I knew then that he'd always be with me, always loving me, and always waiting for me.

* * *

**That was IF Jace had died. But Jace didn't. Do continue reading the next chapter for the real ending XD**


	22. Forever

2 years later

_Love is just a fairytale which will never come true._

Two years ago, I would have believed that. But now, being with the one I love the most, I knew that some fairytales do come true.

Sitting by the window which overlooked the lake, there was nothing that could describe the sense of peace and euphoria I felt. I felt-for the first time-that I was home, where I was really meant to be.

The full moon eclipsed the other beauty around it, as its glow was reflected on the calm surface of the ocean. A young moon, filled with elation as it lit up the night sky. A family of ducks came swimming by, a mother leading her children, disrupting the calm surface of the huge lake. But the lake did not mind. Instead it welcomed them to its home, whispering to them the wonders it held.

I placed the palm of my hand against the cool surface of the clear window, my lips lifted to a small smile. Finally, everything felt as it should be.

"Having fun?"

A warm velvet voice flitted through my ears as strong hands wrapped me from behind. He nuzzled my neck before planting a kiss when I tilted my head. Taking his seat behind me, he pulled me against his chest before enveloping me in his warmth and scent.

"I miss you," he whispered in my ear as he played with a lock of hair which had escaped from the ponytail.

"I was gone for only 5 minutes," I stated softly as I wound my fingers in between his.

"Mmm... it's still long," he insisted as he placed his chin on my shoulder, humming a tune as I brought our joined hands to the life I carried. Our baby.

"She's kicking hard," he commented after a while as we felt the strong kick to a side. Smiling to myself, I turned my head and our lips met. Nothing seemed to change, especially the jolt of emotion each of us felt when our lips touch. It was always there, no matter what.

I caressed his face, his cheek and as my hands trailed lower to his bare chest, I felt the scar. The scar that he had gotten from the accident two years ago. I broke the kiss as a surge of guilt washed through me, a guilt I never let go. His eyes met mine, a silent question.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, bringing my hands to his face and cupping it. Turning his head slightly, he kissed the palm of my hand before taking it in his.

"It was never your fault but mine."

Such soft words, spoken with deep conviction that I was never held in the wrong. Because that was who Jace was. He'd risk his life to save me, and he'd do it again for his family. My wedding ring glittered under the light, a proof of the bond that we had forged between the both of us. But even without that ring, without any other proof, our hearts still belonged to one another, beating as one.

Slipping his fingers below my knees and supporting my arms, he carried me away from the window and to the bedroom.

_Jace, you are the only one I would want to spend the rest of my life with. _


	23. Author's Final Note

OMG, there are so many things that I want to say but so little time and space. Firstly, I really really want to thank all of you for supporting me up till this far. This whole story would not have been possible without your help. Especially the reviews. Reviews, author and story alerts were what kept me going for I knew, out there, you guys are waiting for my next chapter.

I'm so so sorry as there were times where I updated later than usual. I think it has been exactly one year-give or take a few-ever since Glass Hearts was first published. And to tell you the truth, this is the first time I completed a story so currently, I'm feeling very emotional. So emotional that I'm not doing my homework.

Haha! I'm really glad I managed to hold on and continue the whole story. Now, as usual in every chapter, a thanks is in order.

**To: Anonymous1997, firecrushedcat , Bookninja15, soangel , Beautiful-With-Pain , bookninja876 , invisibleme1835 , icyfirelove3 , Random Critic, Bagginsthename , JiLLiAN2548, loving ya , coolicetwilight , SimplyLily94 , I Heart Glass Hearts, Allie Rayie for reviewing the chapter before.**

**And not forgetting: Bookninja15, Rollthedice7, bookninja876, livluvlaflie, JiLLiAN2548, Allie Rayie for adding Glass Hearts to your fav story/story alert.**

Though everyone of you have my special thanks, especially to those who had stuck with me since the beginning, to those who read my every updates and followed the whole storyline. I'm really thankful to have such wonderful readers like you.

**A special shoutout to coolictwilight. I'm so sorry that the update is pretty late but still: HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY**

Oh, there are some special credits:

**Amber (ambergur-pyon96)-for criticizing me and mocking my fangirling and joining me with it at certain times. Who understands my obsession with... androgynous guys. Androgynous, not gay.**

**Becky(whoopies13): For being there for me in reality. Fanfiction is not a reality no matter how emo I might be. Who came up with Eduardo and very random stuffs.**

**Judith(jaceandclaryforever): For being insistent last year that I continued with Paper Hearts. Even though you have stopped reading, I really owed my thanks to you since I shouted the whole storyline in your face and how you acted out the cross-over between MI and VA.**

**And Celine a.k.a LuciferVenom who is not a fanfic writer: For the wonderful help with the accident scene. Dear Ol' Supreme Lord Ruler. I'm forever in your debt. And I'm still waiting for you to finish your story. Baka.**

_And lastly, to Krys Berm, my super-nice Beta Reader._

_Even though you are always busy and rarely had time, you still managed to edit my story. Thank you so much for listening to my ramblings about school. Thank you for sticking with me through everything, even when I can be such a slave driver. HAHA!_

**THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYBODY**

OH. FYI, there is a special epilogue on my blog. Do read it regularly since I'll update a lot on my next project. A teaser will be uploaded shortly, so do look out for it. I will need lots of help with the upcoming MI story!

Darker-than-midnight (dot) blogspot (dot) com

Or you can just go and click on the link at my profile page.

Until then.

Lots of love,

Skyecelade99


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